“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.
Now put foundations under them.“
Henry David Thoreau
Advanced Step in Innovative MObility. Well, that’s what ASIMO supposedly stands for.
And it is one fine machine. ASIMO is about 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighs approximately 54 kg.
Among the impressive capabilities possessed by ASIMO include being able to track moving objects, the ability to recognize body posture and gestures, having the capabiliity to react to the surrounding environment, being able to differentiate other sound from voices and even recognize up to 10 human faces.
It’s even quite eerie when you witness ASIMO doing its thang and how closely its movements and walking/running motion mimics that of a human being. Watch one of the many a videos of ASIMO here and be amazed.
Although not exactly breakneck speed, the current version of ASIMO, after multiple predecessors, is capable of running up to speeds of …… 6km/hour. We know, a little anti-climax. But this, ladies and gentlemen, is no small feat for a mechanical beaset such as ASIMO.
While running at top speed, it should be noted that ASIMO actually has both feet off the ground at one point of time during the running motion. Fantastic. ASIMO has definitely come a long way, from only “static walking” (pausing after each step to balance itself on the forward foot before moving the trailing foot) to running and turning simultaneously.
The Evolution of ASIMO
And guess what people. Are you ready for this? ASIMO will be visiting Malaysians soon! ASIMO will be touring at 3 different locations in Malaysia starting on 14 Nov 2008 and the last chance to catch ASIMO in action will be on 30 Nov 2008.
Head on to the Asimo website for more information. Be sure not to waste an amazing opportunity to watch such awesomeness that is ASIMO! The ul:mb team is most definitely planning to be there and so should you!
P.S Fancy snagging an ASIMO for your own pad? Well start saving soon and lots because last we checked, renting an ASIMO for a whole year will set you back about US$150,000 (approx. RM530,000). :p
FUN FACT: On 14 February 2002, ASIMO rang the NYSE opening bell for trading!
Have a good day people!
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ASIMO in OU « My Eduvacation // November 19, 2008 at 2:14 am
[...] of the things we may have missed in the last post was that ASIMO can also adjust a cart’s operation by reducing its speed or changing direction [...]