ASIMO

ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) is one of the world's most famous bipedal humanoid robots, developed by Honda. First unveiled in October 2000, it stands 130 cm tall, weighs 54 kg and has 57 degrees of freedom across its body. It can walk, run (at up to 9 km/h), climb and descend stairs, hop on one leg, pour drinks and shake hands, and it can recognize the voices and gestures of multiple people and understand Japanese sign language.

Honda's ASIMO research began in 1986 with the E0 series and has gone through more than 30 years of iteration: the 2000 version walked independently, the 2002 version added intelligent interaction, the 2004 version could run, the 2005 version walked faster and gestured, the 2007 version walked without a table and hopped on one leg, and the 2011 version reached 9 km/h with a higher level of intelligence. For years it appeared as a performer and greeter at Honda showrooms and science museums, and it once received visiting dignitaries from many countries; it is regarded as one of the most successful public showcases of humanoid robotics.

In June 2018 Honda announced that it would end production and development of ASIMO and transfer its accumulated technology (balance, gait, dexterous hands) to laboratory work and research partnerships, while keeping some ASIMO units active in demonstration roles. ASIMO's retirement marked the end of an era, but the bipedal dynamic walking and sign-language interaction technologies it pioneered have had a profound influence on the entire humanoid robot industry that followed.