ASIMO - Honda's face forward

Honda's spunky humanoid robot ASIMO is now more considerate. He (or she) is also faster, more agile and can even kick a soccer ball.

ASIMO appeared at Honda's stand at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show and proved he can earn his keep by pouring the boss, Takanobu Ito a drink. Spokesmen wouldn't confirm what the robot has cost to develop but it's easy to be charmed by the 130cm tall buzzing figure without a face.

The day before the Tokyo show we visited Honda's development facilities in Wako, Japan and were treated to a display of ASIMO's latest abilities. Probably most impressive was a demonstration of the robot's voice and face recognition systems, meaning he can now identify VIPs like Ito-san and attend to him with a welcome and offer of tea or coffee.

The recognition systems serve ASIMO's autonomous behaviour control technology whereby the robot can work independently on tasks without operator input. Those tasks, like the aforementioned reception duties are, of course, pre-programmed but the technology allows ASIMO's assistance features to be activated by any number and type of prompts.

Currently ASIMO can listen to four voices at once and attribute identity. If for example four Honda associates come into headquarters, he can greet them by name and take orders for a variety of refreshments while they wait for their meeting. Honda referred to the story of Prince Shotoku – who reputedly could hold conversation with 10 of his guests – as inspiration for ASIMO's "very clever ears".

The robot can detect where requests are coming from via microphones and sensors which measure distance, mimicking the human ear's ability to detect direction of the source of sound.

ASIMO can also analyse volume and determine how much liquid to add, enabling him to pour a drink without overfilling a cup. Even more impressive was the new version's dexterity: ASIMO's fingers now move individually allowing him to unscrew lids.

The robot addressed assembled journalists and engineers with a female voice but for years now we've been assuming ASIMO's a boy; saying things like 'he can now climb stairs' back in 2004. We asked if Honda techs had assigned a gender to ASIMO and were told: "It can be anything a human wants it to be..."

ASIMO is short and white, with most devices (motherboards, power source etc) compacted in a neat backpack. A head-sized monitor sits atop the robot, containing cameras to identify track guidance (at this stage, small dots stuck to the floor) and faces. An electronic buzz accompanies ASIMO's every move.

If he or she was, say, a foot taller and painted black we imagine ASIMO could be intimidating; resembling an attack agent from Dr Who. Honda has been careful to create a humanoid that appears inoffensive and manageable: at 54kg and the size of a slim adolescent, Honda's robot is now a lot more approachable than the original models.

Honda's early robotics division developed the E0 (E-Zero) model in 1986. It was largely designed to replicate human leg movement and housed its smart ware in a small box above clever and quite agile struts. While Honda's robot can now do more than move like a human, the E0 team's endeavour in biomechanics has returned a system offering assistance to those afflicted with mobility issues such as weakened muscles in the form of mechanical leg-aids.

The E series robots – up to the near-two-metre tall E6 in 1993 – maintained much the same formula as the original E0 until the P1 robot arrived, with arms. The P2 and P3 robots extended research in replicating leg and arm movements and by P3's release, Honda's humanoid had also become smaller.

ASIMO – for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility – first appeared in 2000. At that stage the robot could manage movement resembling walking and running. Now it's undoing containers and conducting pleasantries.

Honda has been lately accused of producing boring cars: perhaps the company’s associates have been turning more of their attention to its other interests such as robotics and developments in home energy and solar panels. Sure, planet saving is where it’s at… But we hope Honda further applies its innovations in the automotive sector.