Asimo Humanoid Robot

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Asimo Humanoid Robot

Introduction

For about two decades, walking robots have strut their stuff in laboratories, with varying degrees of success. More practical service robots have rolled through hospital corridors or vacuumed floors. What if there could be a small, versatile humanoid robot that could not only walk gracefully but also climb stairs with ease? Such a robot could combine practicality with the ability to truly fit into peoples' daily activities. In recent years, the answer to this quest for more versatile robots has begun to emerge. Masato Hirose and his fellow researchers at Honda Corporation have been astonishing and intriguing the world with a succession of such robots, culminating in one called Asimo.

Discussion

Masato Hirose was born on February 7, 1956, in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. In 1980, he received a degree in precision engineering from Utsunomiya University. After further studies, he went to work for Honda Corporation. In 1986, Hirose was assigned to an innovative robotics project. Although he had no real prior experience in robotics, Hirose, whose childhood had been filled with cartoon superheroes such as "The Mighty Atom" was intrigued with the possibility of bringing science fiction ideas to reality.

Learning to Walk

Working at the Honda's new Wako Research Center outside Tokyo, Hirose and his four-person engineering team began with a relatively simple project: a walking robot that could carry materials from one part of a factory to another. They started by going to the zoo and observing how animals such as an ostrich walked. They also worked with a person who had two artificial legs, observing how he was able to hike and climb mountains.

Gradually, the researchers were able to identify the key aspects of walking in general and human locomotion in particular, including the range of movement for each joint under different conditions, such as walking on flat ground or climbing stairs. They also designed sensors that could provide the robot with the same sort of information that humans perceive while they are walking. This includes the inner ear's ability to judge speed and changing orientation, as well as the sensing of joint angles and pressure on the foot.

The data entering the robot as it moved was processed by three interacting control systems. The floor reaction control dealt with the impact and rebound of the soles of the feet on the floor and the need to compensate for any unevenness in the surface. The target ZMP control calculated the "zero momentum point"—the place where there is no inertia, taking into account the Earth's gravity and the acceleration and deceleration from walking. As long as the ZMP remained within the area supported by the feet, the robot could, if necessary, like a human walker, apply appropriate forces to regain balance if it lost its footing. Finally, the foot-planting location control "shuffled" the feet when necessary to bring the torso into alignment.

Asimo Debuts

During the next decade, Hirose and his groups created a succession of prototype walking robots. The first of them, P1, which appeared ...