My Friend ASIMO:)

Mood: Its 2am But Eyes still wide Open!

ASIMO!! Can never forget u buddy:) Yup, A humanoid Robot but for me Its like a frnd:)
Ther s a deep relation betn me & ASIMO and it all started when I was in Final sem f engineering @nitte & we had to give a semior on any topic. After lots of R&D i ws facinated by this Cute&Intteligent humanoid robot from Honda,japan - ASIMO.
For nearly 2 months I have completely immersed myself in studying about ASIMO, i ws intrestd to know about it bcaz of my intrest on this lil wonder than Its my seminar topic..I didnt really study for my sessionals during these days but daly i ws spending time for ASIMO, searching for its video's , lil bit of infos, sites, blogs everything. I had around 4GBs of materials of this cute boy! I wld definately love to own a ASIMO in near future:)

With this intro for this post, i wld like to give just the basic info about ASIMO. I am not going to give any deep info about this machine in this space as this blog is not a science blog nor for just engineers:) Everybody will get something or the other here!! For more info feel free to contact me.

Introduction:

Robots already do a lot of the jobs that we humans don't want to do, can't do, or simply can't do as well as our robotic counterparts. In factories around the world, disembodied robot arms assemble cars and do all sorts of tedious jobs. There are even a handful of robots on the market whose sole job is to vacuum the floor. The robots being created today aren't quite up to the mark but there have been some amazing advances in their technology. Honda engineers have created the ASIMO(pronounced AH-see-mo) humanoid robot.

What is ASIMO?
ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility, was developed by the Honda Motor Company and is the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. ASIMO is the only humanoid robot in the world that can walk independently and climb stairs. While there are several other humanoid robots that can walk, none have the smooth, realistic gait that ASIMO has.
In addition to ASIMO's ability to walk like we do, it can also understand some spoken commands (currently only in Japanese) and recognize faces. ASIMO has arms and hands so it can do things like turn on light switches, open doors, carry objects and push carts. It is easy to operate, has a convenient size and weight and can move freely within the human living environment, all with a people-friendly design.

Features
1. Compact and lightweight
2. More advanced walking technology
3. Wider arm operating parameters
4. Easy to operate
5. Friendly design

General specifications
1. Weight: 52 kilograms
2. Height: 120 cm
3. Width: 45 cm
4. Depth: 44 cm
5. Continuous operating time: 30 minutes


People friendly, small useful size
The robot's size was chosen to allow it to operate freely in the human living space and to make it people-friendly. This size allows the robot to operate light switches and door knobs, and work at tables and work benches. Its eyes are located at the level of an adult's eyes when the adult is sitting in a chair. A height of 120cm makes it easy to communicate with.Honda feels that a robot height between 120cm and that of an adult is ideal for operating in the human living space.
ASIMO’s height suitable for home use

ASIMO’s height suitable for office use


Under Technology section i would like to share the Intelligence section of ASIMO very briefly.

Intelligence:
With 2000's ASIMO model Honda added many features, labeled "Intelligence Technology", that enable ASIMO to interact better with humans. These features fall under 4 main general categories.
1. Recognition of moving objects
Using the visual information captured by the camera mounted in its head, ASIMO can detect the movements of multiple objects, assessing distance and direction. Common applications this feature would serve include the ability to follow the movements of people with its camera, to follow a person, or greet a person when he or she approaches
2. Recognition of postures and gestures

ASIMO can also interpret the positioning and movement of a hand, recognizing postures and gestures. Because of this ASIMO can react and be directed not only to voice commands, but also to the natural movements of human beings. This enables him to, for example, recognize when a handshake is offered or when a person waves and respond accordingly. He can also recognize movement directions such as pointing.
3. Facial recognition
ASIMO has the ability to recognize faces, even when ASIMO or the human being is moving. He can individually recognize approximately 10 different faces. Once they are registered he can address them by name

4. Distinguishing sounds:

ASIMO's ability to identify the source of sounds has been improved, and it can distinguish between voices and other sounds. He can respond to his name, face people when being spoken to, and recognize sudden, unusual sounds such as that of a falling object or a collision, and face in that direction.

As a conclusion I can say,

It takes a lot of different sciences to create a humanoid robot. You can study any kind of science -- mathematics, physics, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, even anatomy or physiology. All those sciences are necessary to create a robot
Even though ASIMO is a very advanced humanoid robot it needs more features to make it more human like. The battery life of ASIMO is one of the limitation and HONDA is working on it and newer version of ASIMO will have a battery which will work for nearly 1hour. More advancement like more autonomous, better voiced communication will be seen in future ASIMO.
Robots and the robotics industry will continue to grow at a rapid rate. As technology advances so will the robots that rely so heavily upon these advances. Robots will become more technical until one day they will become as powerful as we are.

Pls contact if interested to view ASIMO's video clips.

Mood: Worried bcz Need to be @ office in nxt 6 hours so i m down to bed!