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| Honda ASIMO |
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| General information |
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| Year unveiled |
| Year retired |
| Full name |
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| Degrees of freedom |
| Max running speed |
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Honda ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) was a humanoid robot created by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Unveiled on October 31, 2000, and formally announced on November 20 of that year, ASIMO became one of the most recognized and influential robots in history. Standing 130 cm tall and weighing 48 kg in its final configuration, the robot represented the culmination of over three decades of bipedal locomotion research that began at Honda in 1986. ASIMO retired from public demonstrations on March 31, 2022, after more than two decades of service as a technology ambassador, research platform, and cultural icon.
Over the course of its operational life, all ASIMO units collectively took more than 33.26 million steps and walked a combined distance of approximately 7,907 kilometers (4,913 miles) [1]. The robot never entered commercial sale, but Honda produced roughly 100 units that were used for demonstrations, research, and corporate events worldwide. ASIMO's development program spanned seven major iterations between 2000 and 2011, each introducing significant advances in mobility, autonomy, and human-robot interaction.
The name ASIMO is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility." It also serves as a play on the Japanese word "ashi" (meaning leg or foot) combined with a shortened form of "mobility" [2]. The name's phonetic similarity to Isaac Asimov, the science fiction author who formulated the famous Three Laws of Robotics, has been widely noted. Honda's corporate communications department officially stated in a 2004 interview with Japan Inc. magazine that the name has "absolutely nothing to do with Isaac Asimov" [3]. Despite this denial, many observers and commentators have continued to interpret the naming as an intentional homage to the influential writer.
Honda's humanoid robotics program began in 1986, when the company established a fundamental technology research center at its Wako facility in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The goal was ambitious: to create a robot that could walk on two legs like a human. This initiative, undertaken by an automobile manufacturer with no prior robotics pedigree, was considered unusual at the time.
The program produced the E-series ("E" for experimental), a sequence of seven increasingly capable bipedal walking robots developed between 1986 and 1993 [4].
| Model | Year | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | DOF | Speed (km/h) | Key achievement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E0 | 1986 | 101.3 | 16.5 | 6 | Very slow (~5 sec/step) | First Honda bipedal robot; straight-line walking |
| E1 | 1987 | 128.8 | 72 | 12 | 0.25 | Faster step cycles; improved joint control |
| E2 | 1989 | 132 | 67.7 | 12 | 1.2 | Dynamic walking capability |
| E3 | 1991 | 136.3 | 86 | 12 | 3.0 | Matched average human walking speed |
| E4 | 1991 | 159.5 | 150 | 12 | 4.7 | Extended knee design for higher speed |
| E5 | 1992 | 170 | 150 | 12 | N/A | Autonomous walking with self-contained sensors |
| E6 | 1993 | 174.3 | 150 | 12 | N/A | Stair climbing; obstacle traversal; autonomous balancing |
The E-series focused exclusively on legs and locomotion. E0, the first model, could only walk in a straight line, with each step taking about five seconds. By E3 in 1991, engineers had achieved walking at 3 km/h, matching the average human pace. E6, the final prototype, represented a breakthrough: it could autonomously balance, walk over obstacles, and climb stairs [4].
With the leg technology maturing, Honda's engineers turned to building complete humanoid bodies. The P-series ("P" for prototype) added torsos, arms, and heads to the walking platform established by the E-series [5].
| Model | Year | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | DOF | Walking speed (km/h) | Battery | Operating time | Key achievement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 1993 | 191.5 | 175 | 30 | 2.0 | 135V Ni-Zn | 15 min | First full-body humanoid prototype (kept secret until 1996) |
| P2 | 1996 | 182.0 | 210 | 30 | 2.0 | 38.4V NiMH | 25 min | First self-regulating wireless bipedal walking robot; public debut |
| P3 | 1997 | 160.0 | 130 | 28 | 2.0 | 51.8V Li-ion | 30 min | First completely independent bipedal humanoid walking robot |
| P4 | 2000 | 160.0 | 80 | 34 | 1.6 | Li-ion | 1 hr (walking) | Bridge to ASIMO; significant weight reduction |
P1 was developed in 1993 but kept under wraps until Honda publicly revealed P2 in December 1996. At 182 cm tall and 210 kg, P2 was the first self-regulating, two-legged walking robot using wireless control, which made it a landmark achievement in robotics [5]. Honda's public announcement of P2 stunned the robotics community, as few outside the company knew Honda had been working on humanoid robots for a decade.
P3, introduced in September 1997, was described as the first completely independent bipedal humanoid walking robot. It was significantly smaller and lighter than P2 (160 cm, 130 kg) and introduced lithium-ion battery technology. P4, initially called the "P3-improved prototype" and later designated P4 in 2009, further reduced weight to 80 kg and served as the direct precursor to ASIMO [5].
ASIMO was unveiled on October 31, 2000, with a formal global announcement on November 20 [6]. Designed to function in human living environments, Honda's research indicated that the ideal height for a mobility assistant robot was between 120 cm and the height of an average adult, a range conducive to operating door knobs, light switches, and working at standard table height. The original ASIMO stood 120 cm tall, weighed 43 kg, and had 26 degrees of freedom, a dramatic reduction in size and weight from the P3 [6].
Honda's president at the time described the project as consistent with the company's direction to "enhance human mobility," the same philosophy that guided its automobile and motorcycle businesses.
ASIMO underwent seven major updates between 2000 and 2011, each bringing substantial improvements in physical capability, intelligence, and autonomy.
| Specification | 2000 (Original) | 2002 | 2004 | 2005 | 2007 | 2011 (All-New) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 120 cm | 120 cm | 120 cm | 130 cm | 130 cm | 130 cm |
| Weight | 43 kg | 54 kg | 48 kg | 54 kg | 54 kg | 48 kg |
| DOF | 26 | 26 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 57 |
| Walking speed | 1.6 km/h | 1.6 km/h | 2.5 km/h | 2.7 km/h | 2.7 km/h | 2.7 km/h |
| Running speed | N/A | N/A | 3 km/h | 6 km/h | 6 km/h | 9 km/h |
| Battery | 38.4V NiMH | 38.4V NiMH | 51.8V Li-ion | 51.8V Li-ion | 51.8V Li-ion | 51.8V Li-ion |
| Operating time | ~30 min | ~30 min | 40 min to 1 hr | ~1 hr | ~1 hr | ~1 hr |
| Key advance | First ASIMO | Face/voice recognition, Internet | First running (3 km/h), Li-ion battery | 6 km/h running, receptionist tasks | Multi-robot coordination, auto-charging | 57 DOF, autonomous behavior, dexterous hands |
The 2002 version added intelligence capabilities that transformed ASIMO from a walking machine into an interactive robot [7]. New features included face recognition (capable of identifying approximately 10 faces), voice recognition (distinguishing human voices from background noise), gesture recognition, and Internet connectivity that allowed it to answer simple questions about news and weather. In 2002, Honda produced 20 units of this model and began offering ASIMO for rental in Japan [7].
The 2004 update represented a major hardware overhaul [8]. Honda replaced the nickel-metal hydride battery with a 51.8V lithium-ion pack, increasing operating time from 30 minutes to between 40 minutes and one hour. A newly developed high-speed processing circuit and high-power motor drive unit provided hardware performance more than four times faster than the previous model. Most notably, ASIMO ran for the first time, achieving 3 km/h with a step cycle of 0.36 seconds and an airborne time of 0.05 seconds per stride, comparable to a person jogging [8]. The number of degrees of freedom increased from 26 to 34.
Debuted on December 13, 2005, this version doubled the running speed to 6 km/h and added the ability to run in circular patterns through proactive posture control while both feet were airborne [9]. ASIMO gained the ability to walk while holding a person's hand, navigate using a "total control system" for receptionist and delivery tasks, and push a cart. Honda began deploying this version at the Honda Wako Building office in spring 2006, where it served as a receptionist and guide [9].
In December 2007, Honda demonstrated new intelligence technologies at its Tokyo headquarters that enabled multiple ASIMO robots to work together in coordination [10]. The robots could share task information over a network and, based on factors like battery power and distance to the task, determine the most efficient way to divide responsibilities. When one ASIMO unit needed to recharge, other units would automatically step in to cover its duties. A new autonomous charging station allowed ASIMO to identify and walk to the nearest available charger when its battery fell below a set threshold [10].
The 2007 update also introduced improved navigation: ASIMO could predict the direction a person would walk within the next few seconds using pre-set space sensors and choose an alternate path to avoid collision.
Unveiled on November 8, 2011, the "all-new ASIMO" was the final and most advanced version [11]. Honda described it as the world's first humanoid robot equipped with autonomous behavior control technology, marking a transition from an "automatic machine" to an "autonomous machine" capable of making decisions based on its surroundings.
Physical improvements: The 2011 model stood 130 cm tall (10 cm taller than the original) and weighed 48 kg (a 6 kg reduction from the 2005/2007 versions). Degrees of freedom increased dramatically to 57 (an addition of 23 over the previous model), distributed as follows [11]:
| Body part | DOF |
|---|---|
| Head | 3 |
| Each arm | 7 (14 total) |
| Each hand | 13 (26 total) |
| Torso | 2 |
| Each leg | 6 (12 total) |
| Total | 57 |
Mobility advances: Running speed increased to 9 km/h (5.6 mph). For the first time, ASIMO could run backward, hop continuously on one foot, and jump on two feet. A new control technology enabled mid-motion adjustments to landing positions, allowing the robot to handle uneven surfaces [11].
Dexterous hands: Honda developed a compact multi-fingered hand with tactile and force sensors embedded in the palm and each finger, enabling independent finger control. This allowed ASIMO to perform delicate tasks such as picking up a glass bottle and twisting off the cap, holding a soft paper cup to pour liquid without crushing it, and communicating using sign language [11].
Autonomous intelligence: The new ASIMO could integrate information from multiple sensors to estimate environmental changes in real time. It could simultaneously track and predict the motion of multiple people, perform voice recognition in noisy and crowded environments, and determine its next action without operator control [11].
ASIMO's walking system was built on the Zero Moment Point (ZMP) theory, a mathematical framework for bipedal balance control. The ZMP defines the point on the ground where the sum of horizontal inertia and gravity forces produces zero moment. By continuously calculating and adjusting to keep the ZMP within the robot's support polygon (the area where its feet contact the ground), ASIMO maintained dynamic stability during walking and running [12].
Honda implemented three layered postural control strategies [12]:
Honda's Intelligent Real-Time Flexible Walking Technology (I-Walk) extended these principles to enable turning. The system predicted how far ASIMO should shift its center of gravity to the inside of a turn and how long that shift should be maintained [12].
ASIMO carried a comprehensive sensor suite for environmental awareness:
For navigation, ASIMO used pre-loaded maps combined with floor markings and real-time sensor data to determine its position and plan routes. The 2011 version added predictive algorithms that could anticipate pedestrian movements several seconds in advance [11].
ASIMO used a custom three-dimensional computer processor designed by Honda, consisting of three stacked dies: a processor, a signal converter, and memory. This integrated design helped minimize the size and weight of the onboard computing system while providing sufficient processing power for real-time balance control, sensor fusion, and autonomous decision-making [2].
The original 2000 ASIMO used a 38.4V nickel-metal hydride battery providing approximately 30 minutes of operation. Starting with the 2004 version, Honda switched to a 51.8V lithium-ion battery that extended operating time to approximately one hour. Charging time was reduced from the original system to about three hours for the Li-ion pack [2]. The 2007 update added autonomous recharging capability, allowing ASIMO to navigate to a charging station independently when battery levels dropped below a predefined threshold.
ASIMO's mobility evolved significantly across its generations. The original 2000 model could walk at 1.6 km/h on flat surfaces. By 2004, it achieved its first running gait at 3 km/h. The 2005 version doubled running speed to 6 km/h, and the final 2011 model reached 9 km/h [8][9][11]. Throughout its development, ASIMO demonstrated stair climbing, walking on slopes and uneven surfaces, and turning while walking. The 2011 model could run backward and perform continuous hopping on one or both feet.
The 2011 model's 13-degree-of-freedom hands (per hand) with embedded sensors represented a significant achievement in robotic manipulation. ASIMO could [11]:
ASIMO could interpret voice commands in both English and Japanese. It could recognize approximately 10 different faces and respond to handshakes, waves, and pointing gestures. Its vocabulary included roughly 50 different greetings and calls, plus 30 commands. When deployed as a receptionist, it could identify visitors, greet them by name, and guide them to their destination [2][7].
ASIMO became one of the most publicly visible robots in history, appearing at major events, museums, and on television programs around the world.
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| February 14, 2002 | New York Stock Exchange opening bell | First robot to ring the NYSE opening bell; celebrated Honda's 25th anniversary on the exchange. ASIMO climbed stairs to the podium, shook hands with NYSE Chairman Richard Grasso, and rang the bell [13]. |
| 2003 | Science Museum, London | European demonstrations |
| 2003 to 2005 | U.S. and Canada tour | Reached more than 130,000 people |
| 2004 | Carnegie Mellon Robot Hall of Fame | Inducted alongside Robby the Robot, Astro Boy, C-3PO, and Shakey [14] |
| March 2005 | Film premiere of "Robots" | Walked the red carpet at the world premiere of the animated film |
| June 2005 | Disneyland Tomorrowland | Began appearing at the Honda ASIMO Theater inside the Innoventions attraction for Disneyland's 50th anniversary [15] |
| May 13, 2008 | Detroit Symphony Orchestra | Conducted "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha" alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma; first known robot to conduct a live orchestra performance [16] |
| October 28, 2008 | Miraikan, Tokyo | Performed a seven-minute step and dance routine for Prince Charles during his visit [17] |
| 2008 | Genoa Science Festival, Italy | Italian debut at the annual science event |
| 2010 | Sundance Film Festival | Featured in a documentary |
| 2011 | FIRST Championship | Demonstrated at the student robotics competition |
| December 2, 2011 | QI (British quiz show) | Appeared as a guest on the BBC panel show hosted by Stephen Fry; carried drinks to the panel and danced with comedian Jo Brand [18] |
| April 24, 2014 | Miraikan, Tokyo | Met U.S. President Barack Obama during his state visit to Japan; the two bowed to each other, conversed in English, and played soccer, with ASIMO kicking the ball to the president [19] |
| March 31, 2022 | Final performance, Honda headquarters | Farewell show featuring classic routines including running and dancing [1] |
One of ASIMO's most memorable appearances was conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on May 13, 2008. Honda programmed ASIMO to mimic the conducting motions of Charles Burke, the orchestra's education director, who had recorded his movements conducting "The Impossible Dream" approximately six months earlier. The concert also featured renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performing a separate piece. The event highlighted both ASIMO's precision in reproducing human movements and its limitations: during the first rehearsal, the orchestra lost its place when ASIMO began slowing the tempo, something a human conductor would have sensed and corrected in real time. Honda brought ASIMO to Detroit alongside a $1 million gift to the orchestra's music education fund [16].
During President Obama's April 2014 state visit to Japan, a meeting with ASIMO at the Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Tokyo became a widely covered media moment. The robot introduced itself in English, saying "Mr. President, I am ASIMO." The two exchanged bows, and ASIMO demonstrated its jumping ability before challenging Obama to a game of soccer. ASIMO kicked the ball toward the president, who trapped it with his foot. "How about that, that was pretty impressive," Obama remarked. In subsequent remarks to students at the museum, the president joked, "The robots are a little scary" [19].
From June 2005, ASIMO performed at the Honda ASIMO Theater inside Disneyland's Innoventions attraction in Tomorrowland. This was ASIMO's only permanent installation in North America and was part of Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration. The attraction continued until Innoventions closed in April 2015 [15].
The Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) in Tokyo served as ASIMO's primary public venue for much of its career. The robot performed regular demonstrations at the museum, interacting with visitors and showcasing its latest capabilities. ASIMO's final public demonstrations at the Miraikan ended on March 31, 2022 [1].
ASIMO's public career was not without mishaps. The most famous incident occurred in 2006, when the robot fell while climbing a set of stairs during a live demonstration in Japan. Midway up the steps, ASIMO turned toward the audience before suddenly collapsing. Stagehands quickly erected a screen around the fallen robot to prevent further photography, but audience members had already captured the entire incident on video. The footage went viral on YouTube and became one of the most viewed robotics clips of its era [20].
Honda engineers acknowledged that stair climbing remained one of the most challenging tasks for bipedal robots. On multiple occasions, audience members at public demonstrations filmed ASIMO stumbling or falling on stairs, and several such videos gained widespread attention online. These incidents, while embarrassing for Honda, underscored the genuine difficulty of bipedal locomotion and made the robot more relatable to the public [20].
Honda produced approximately 100 ASIMO units over the robot's lifetime [2]. The first batch of 20 units was manufactured in 2002. Additional units were built for subsequent versions, though Honda never disclosed exact production figures for later models.
Honda never officially disclosed the per-unit cost of ASIMO. Various estimates have placed the figure at approximately $2.5 million per robot, though some sources have cited higher figures [21]. The high cost reflected the custom-designed components, including the stacked three-dimensional processor, precision actuators, and extensive sensor suite. ASIMO was never offered for commercial sale to the general public.
In November 2001, Honda introduced an improved ASIMO version available for rental in Japan [22]. The rental program was aimed at corporate events, trade shows, and promotional appearances. The 2001 rental version featured dramatically reduced startup time (4 minutes compared to the previous 40-minute requirement), voice command recognition, and autonomous navigation along prescribed routes [22].
Honda first signaled the end of ASIMO development in July 2018, announcing that it would cease development to "focus on more practical applications" using the technology developed through ASIMO's lifespan [1]. The company's decision reflected both the limitations of the ASIMO platform and a strategic shift in Honda's robotics priorities.
ASIMO's operational costs presented significant challenges for any potential commercial deployment. The robot required expert operators, regular maintenance, and carefully managed environments. Its battery life, while improved to approximately one hour, limited practical work duration. The robot also depended on pre-mapped environments and floor markings for navigation, constraining its usefulness outside controlled settings.
ASIMO made its final public performance on March 31, 2022, at Honda's facilities. During the farewell event, the robot performed some of its signature routines, including running across the stage and dancing. Honda marked the occasion as the end of an era, though the company emphasized that the knowledge and technology developed through ASIMO would continue to inform its future robotics work [1].
ASIMO's impact on the field of humanoid robotics is difficult to overstate. As one of the first robots to demonstrate stable, dynamic bipedal walking in real-world conditions, it established fundamental principles that continue to underpin modern humanoid robot development. The ZMP-based walking algorithms pioneered for ASIMO formed the foundation for bipedal control systems used by subsequent robots from Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, and numerous other companies [12].
ASIMO also demonstrated that a humanoid robot could function, however imperfectly, in human-oriented environments. Its ability to climb stairs, open doors, carry objects, and interact with people through speech and gesture showed the field what was possible, even if the technology was not yet practical for commercial deployment.
Modern humanoid platforms, including Tesla's Optimus, Boston Dynamics' Atlas, Agility Robotics' Digit, and Unitree's H1, all build on knowledge that ASIMO helped establish. These newer systems benefit from advances in computing power, battery technology, artificial intelligence, and actuator design that were unavailable during ASIMO's development [23].
In 2004, ASIMO was inducted into the Carnegie Mellon Robot Hall of Fame, alongside fictional robots C-3PO, Robby the Robot, and Astro Boy, as well as the real-world Shakey robot. Takeo Kanade, a professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie Mellon, noted that "when we look back, the Honda P2 Robot, from which ASIMO was developed, is THE one which ignited the current fever of humanoid and entertainment robots" [14].
ASIMO became a global cultural icon that transcended the robotics community. Its distinctive astronaut-like appearance, with a white body and dark visor-like face, made it instantly recognizable. The robot appeared in films, television programs, museums, and advertising campaigns worldwide. It inspired the 2012 film "Robot & Frank," which featured a humanoid assistant caring for an aging man [2].
ASIMO served as an important educational tool, sparking interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) among young people. Its U.S. and Canada tour from 2003 to 2005 reached more than 130,000 people, and its long-running Disneyland residency introduced millions of visitors to humanoid robotics [15].
Honda's ASIMO research directly led to the development of practical assistive devices. The company created the Stride Management Assist and Bodyweight Support Assist prototypes, which applied bipedal locomotion technology to help people with mobility impairments. Honda began lease sales of its Walking Assist Device in Japan, priced at 45,000 yen per month for a 36-month contract [24].
Following ASIMO's retirement, Honda shifted its robotics focus to avatar robots: remote-controlled systems that allow a human operator to interact with distant environments through a robotic body. In September 2021, Honda unveiled research achievements in avatar robotics, with a target of practical deployment in the 2030s [25]. The avatar robot's multi-fingered hands are being developed by engineers who previously worked on ASIMO, applying the dexterity expertise accumulated over decades. Unlike the grippers used by many competing avatar robots, Honda is developing hands with individually articulated fingers to enable intuitive synchronization with a human operator's hand movements [25].
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2025, Honda announced that its first in-house software system for the upcoming 0 Series electric vehicles would be called "ASIMO OS," honoring the robot's legacy within the company's next-generation products [26]. ASIMO OS will manage over-the-air software updates, Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities, and other vehicle systems. The operating system will be standard equipment on all 0 Series Honda models, including the Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon, with production confirmed to begin in 2026 at Honda's Ohio facility [26].
The decision to name the vehicle operating system after ASIMO reflected the cultural significance the robot holds within Honda. Company executives described it as a way to carry forward the spirit of innovation that ASIMO represented into Honda's electric vehicle future.
| Category | Specification |
|---|---|
| Height | 130 cm (4 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 48 kg (106 lb) |
| Width | 45 cm |
| Depth | 34 cm |
| Total degrees of freedom | 57 |
| Head DOF | 3 |
| Arm DOF (each) | 7 |
| Hand DOF (each) | 13 |
| Torso DOF | 2 |
| Leg DOF (each) | 6 |
| Maximum walking speed | 2.7 km/h (1.7 mph) |
| Maximum running speed | 9 km/h (5.6 mph) |
| Battery type | 51.8V lithium-ion |
| Operating time | Approximately 1 hour |
| Charging time | Approximately 3 hours |
| Actuators | Servomotor + harmonic drive |
| Vision | Stereo cameras (two eyes) |
| Ground sensors | Laser and infrared |
| Proximity sensors | Ultrasonic (front and rear) |
| Foot sensors | 6-axis force sensors |
| Body sensors | Gyroscope, accelerometer |
| Hand sensors | Tactile and force (palm and fingers) |
| Face recognition | Up to ~10 faces |
| Voice recognition | English and Japanese |
| Fingers per hand | 5 |
| Navigation | Pre-loaded maps, floor markings, real-time sensor fusion |
| Autonomous charging | Yes (from 2007) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi |