Tag Archives: Honda

Asimo stars in “Living with Robots” documentary

Movies, Technology, Video, , , , , , ,

Our favorite robot Asimo stars in a Honda short-film documentary called “Living with Robots.”  The docu “investigates humankind’s keen interest in robots and how robots can challenge the impossible by saving lives while also holding the promise to become more integrated and helpful in daily life.”  In case you never heard of Honda’s ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility), he’s “the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, and the company’s commitment to researching and developing bipedal mobility and how the research improves technologies across the company.”  You can take a peek at the trailer for it above.  If it pings your interest, the full length film was shown at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and will hopefully find its way to DVD and Blu Ray soon.  Full PR after the break.

Isn’t that final sequence chilling, when Asimo looks at himself in the mirror?  He very naturally tilts his head inquisitively, as if he were human.  Help me realize our future: will robots take over the world (ie. iRobot) or will they develop to help maintain and better our lives?

[Via Engadget]

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Honda U3-X, a Segway unicycle

Technology, Video, , , ,

If you are at all interested in this Personal Mobility Device, read on for the details, straight from Honda.

“Honda has developed a new personal mobility technology, U3-X. It is a compact experimental device that fits comfortably between the riders legs, to provide free movement in all directions just as in human walking forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. Honda will continue research and development of the device including experiments in a real-world environment to verify the practicality of the device.

This new personal mobility device makes it possible to adjust speed and move, turn and stop in all directions when the rider leans the upper body to shift body weight. This was achieved through application of advanced technologies including Hondas balance control technology, which was developed through the robotics research of ASIMO, Hondas bipedal humanoid robot, and the worlds first* omni-directional driving wheel system (Honda Omni Traction Drive System, or HOT Drive System), which enables movement in all directions, including not only forward and backward, but also directly to the right and left and diagonally. In addition, this compact size and one-wheel-drive personal mobility device was designed to be friendly to the user and people around it by making it easier for the rider to reach the ground from the footrest and placing the rider on roughly the same eye level as other people or pedestrians.”

[Via Gizmodo; Honda YouTube page]