But they still can't do dishes

December 14, 2005 9:31 AM

Asimo gets an upgrade. His new abilities include running at 6 mph, operating a cart, serving tea, walking hand in hand, walking with a tray, facial recognition, and the ability to defenestrate you without moral responsibilities.

Videos of the Asimo in action.
posted by sourbrew (65 comments total)

I can't wait until Asimo gets the "Population Control" upgrade.
posted by neckro23 at 9:40 AM on December 14, 2005

How is he near the stairs?
posted by bonehead at 9:41 AM on December 14, 2005

thank you you made me look up "defenestrate"

-the action of throwing someone or something out of a window.
posted by ShawnString at 9:43 AM on December 14, 2005

ShawnString - I live to bring that word to others.
posted by sourbrew at 9:47 AM on December 14, 2005

I for one welcome this new, improved "Asimo."
posted by fire&wings at 9:48 AM on December 14, 2005

Also i should have included this video, its an ad featuring the asimo. As for stairs, i can't find video footage, but this honda page claims it can.
posted by sourbrew at 9:50 AM on December 14, 2005

Awesom-O

Love the "greeting" video. I'm not sure that I'm quite ready, however, to "walk hand in hand" with Asimo--maybe a few drinks first.
posted by kosem at 9:50 AM on December 14, 2005

That's not running ... that's sneaking.
posted by itchylick at 9:50 AM on December 14, 2005

THAT is pretty freakin' impressive....
posted by malaprohibita at 9:54 AM on December 14, 2005

Are you a...pleasure model?
posted by Kwantsar at 9:56 AM on December 14, 2005

Asimo has no soul!
posted by Captaintripps at 10:01 AM on December 14, 2005

doh.... also spell check changed kmph to mph.... so he can run 6kmph not mph
posted by sourbrew at 10:06 AM on December 14, 2005

Very cool but a little creepy. My mind kept wanting it to be a little person inside a robot suit instead of it walking like that on its own.
posted by octothorpe at 10:17 AM on December 14, 2005

My thoughts exactly octothorpe.
posted by Witty at 10:24 AM on December 14, 2005

ASIMO runs like he has a crap in his pants.
posted by mfbridges at 10:33 AM on December 14, 2005

bonehead: and what about with bread?
posted by NucleophilicAttack at 10:41 AM on December 14, 2005

I'm glad he is here to protect us.
posted by luftmensch at 10:44 AM on December 14, 2005

Neat, from this and the DARPA challenge, it looks like robotics have improved exponentially these last couple years. It makes me feel like the singularity is coming up.
posted by bobo123 at 10:53 AM on December 14, 2005

new abilities include running at 6 mph

Looks like it's time to add this upgrade.
posted by CynicalKnight at 10:54 AM on December 14, 2005

Pak Chooie Unf!
posted by daver at 11:22 AM on December 14, 2005

The interacting with distance video is pretty sweet. I like how it stops and turns its head and waits up for the girl.
posted by daninnj at 11:49 AM on December 14, 2005

I know I have run like that when dashing to catch the bus with a full backpack. Oh Asimo, you're going to be late for class!
posted by Phantomx at 11:51 AM on December 14, 2005

What terrible secrets does Asimo know?
posted by bonehead at 11:56 AM on December 14, 2005

Next upgrade: Asimo learns how to find Sarah Connor.

/with apologies to Fark
posted by neuron at 12:04 PM on December 14, 2005

I am sufficiently freaked out.
posted by shoepal at 12:04 PM on December 14, 2005

i like it that asimo bows as he backs away after delivering the tray. robots should be subservient and know their place.
posted by 3.2.3 at 12:09 PM on December 14, 2005

This is completely awesome. It can only be a matter of time before he gets moonwalking.
posted by teleskiving at 12:09 PM on December 14, 2005

Well, this is the 21st century. Just imagine the diffrence between the cars of the 1990s and the cars of 1905. Wow. (Of course cars actualy found their 'modern' shape around the 1930s, the rest has just been gradual improvements)
posted by delmoi at 12:14 PM on December 14, 2005

Notice how at the beginning of ech video it says, "The following video has been designated for all audiences"? What's in the videos they're not showing us?!?!
posted by bonecrusher at 12:28 PM on December 14, 2005

Murphy? Is that you?
posted by sellout at 12:46 PM on December 14, 2005

I saw ASIMO live in the Science Museum (UK) two years ago, and he was walking down stairs then. Admittedly with a little help and encouragement.

Wonderful stuff.
posted by iso_bars at 1:00 PM on December 14, 2005

How much for the soft, moist fleshy receptacle option? Oh and AM/FM radio. Gotta have that.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:02 PM on December 14, 2005

There was an ASIMO presentation at my university a few months back, looks like they have made some progress since then. The presentation was hardly informative, though, and consisted mainly of a Honda representative acting in the manner of a circus ringmaster.

This is one of those products that will be commonplace fifty years down the road, but of which we currently have no real conception. That is, right now it is a spectacle; down the road it will be an integral part of our lives. The real question is how long that social acclimation will take.
posted by voltairemodern at 1:29 PM on December 14, 2005

When I saw ASIMO at Disneyland, I was so creeped out that I wanted to jump on stage and tackle the fucker.
posted by afx114 at 1:34 PM on December 14, 2005

ASIMO is a ninja!

See how he sidles. He is SUCH a sidler. We'd have to make him carry a pack of tic-tacs.
posted by tkchrist at 2:03 PM on December 14, 2005

You know, if the dude in the Honda advert posted the other day had taken a quick piggy-back ride on Asimo between all the motorcycles and boats and cars, I bet there'd have been a lot less snark.
posted by The Monkey at 2:40 PM on December 14, 2005

Sweet Baby Jesus, that's freaky. Especially that last teensy step he takes when he stops running.
posted by brundlefly at 3:30 PM on December 14, 2005

I wonder why they don't have video of him on stairs. He handled them pretty well, both up and down, when he came to Georgia Tech.

/anecdotal evidence
posted by solotoro at 3:49 PM on December 14, 2005

But will he kill someone if you order him to?
posted by Citizen Premier at 3:52 PM on December 14, 2005

(Cool FPP by the way)
posted by Citizen Premier at 3:52 PM on December 14, 2005

Here's a clip that includes Asimo managing stairs quite well (Skip to the fifth section).
posted by sellout at 3:55 PM on December 14, 2005

I think bonehead means stairs, like in your house.

'cause I'm protected but I don't know about you guys.
posted by holloway at 4:08 PM on December 14, 2005

I keep watching my own reactions as I watch these videos - I think I can probably only describe myself as "flabbergasted". Is it real? What is it thinking? Why am I already anthropomorphosing this?

What a paradigm shift it will be when, as voltairemodern says, these become commonplace assistants - there you go again!, tools for us. I'm not sure whether to anticipate in earnest or dread.
posted by rootz at 4:08 PM on December 14, 2005

But I want an ASIMO now, Daddy!
/veruca
posted by spilon at 4:47 PM on December 14, 2005

It's the talking that's the most creepy. (a silent robot would be good to have)
posted by amberglow at 5:05 PM on December 14, 2005

(and its walk is creepy still--it's creeping more than walking)
posted by amberglow at 5:07 PM on December 14, 2005

I keep watching my own reactions as I watch these videos - I think I can probably only describe myself as "flabbergasted". Is it real? What is it thinking? Why am I already anthropomorphosing this?

You're experiencing the Uncanny Valley.
posted by zardoz at 5:16 PM on December 14, 2005

I'm with the "wow, that's cool...but creepy!" contingent.
posted by dejah420 at 6:38 PM on December 14, 2005

If they just made his head bigger, his body smaller, and painted him pink and green, we'd have a real-life version of the Prince from Katamari Damacy. Which can only be a good thing.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 6:43 PM on December 14, 2005

Interesting to note the bowing. Asimo bows fairly deeply, while the humans give just a prefunctary nod. They are definitely putting the robot in its place.

That whole East Asia Co-Proesperity Sphere thing didn't work out so well, so maybe they can create a subserviant race instead.

The grasshopper definitely lies heavy.
posted by Dag Maggot at 6:44 PM on December 14, 2005

Yeah, but is he fully functional?
posted by knave at 7:14 PM on December 14, 2005

knave, you took the words right out of my filthy mouth.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 7:34 PM on December 14, 2005

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is creeped out by the Asimo.

I remember seeing early videos of it when it was still the Honda Human project, and just being totally wigged out that it wasn't some tiny Japanese guy in a Gundam suit.

Now. Now it runs. I'm just waiting for the weapons payload hardmount points.

We're fucking doomed. And people wonder why I want to be able to upload my brain into silicon. It's going to be the only way you'll survive.

Yet, I still want an ASIMO. Fully functional or not.
posted by loquacious at 7:41 PM on December 14, 2005

Nah, as long as they don't make red ones, we're all safe. It's always the red ones that flip out and start the decapitating and crushing.
posted by bonehead at 7:55 PM on December 14, 2005

I wonder when they'll make the ASIMO V


Will it have rules to obey?



/protected
posted by stenseng at 8:05 PM on December 14, 2005

Also, for whatever reason, I really want to kick the shit out of ASIMO, like, a pile of them. With a shotgun. Must be the monkey brain talking.
posted by stenseng at 8:06 PM on December 14, 2005

Does that mean there's something wrong with me?
posted by stenseng at 8:07 PM on December 14, 2005

Outdated models always go murdery on the newer, better models.
posted by parallax7d at 8:21 PM on December 14, 2005

Hey, at least I don't run like I've got a load in my drawers...
posted by stenseng at 8:32 PM on December 14, 2005

Well, I would be seriously disapointed in the collective intelegence of humanity if ASIMO had not been coded.
posted by delmoi at 9:51 PM on December 14, 2005

I want to trip him just to interrupt the creepiness of it.

I think I'm in the uncanny valley with this shit. That's what they call it, right?
posted by scarabic at 9:53 PM on December 14, 2005

Nah, uncanny valley will come when this guy starts talking to you like smarterchild.
posted by Citizen Premier at 10:21 PM on December 14, 2005

Kill? Shoot? Run? I just wonder if it can cook. Dusting would be a bonus
posted by Cranberry at 10:24 PM on December 14, 2005

6 KM/hour, not miles. Impressive, nonetheless.
posted by hypersloth at 12:47 AM on December 15, 2005

Am I the only one who thinks there's just a little kid in there?
posted by piratebowling at 6:23 AM on December 15, 2005