Honda ASIMO humanoid Robot gets smarter

Haven’t the boffins at Honda seen Battlestar Galactia or Terminator or The Matrix? Don’t they know what happens when you make robots too smart? Apparently not, as Honda’s ASIMO humanoid robot has received an update to give the advanced humanoid robot greaterintelligence technology.

ASIMO’s new capabilities include: being able to automatically return to a charging point to recharge its battery; accurately predict the movement of walking humans and decide how best to avoid them; a new system to allow multiple ASIMOs to share and complete tasks between them; and an upgrade to ASIMO’s tray-carrying and cart-pushing abilities.

Honda will begin test operations of two ASIMOs equipped with these newly developed technologies at the second floor lobby of Honda’s Aoyama headquarters in Tokyo until January 31, 2008.

Since introducing an all-new ASIMO in 2005, with more advanced physical and intelligence capabilities, Honda has focused its R&D efforts more on the area of intelligence technologies. The newly developed technologies, which enable ASIMO to operate in an environment with people and other ASIMOs, bring Honda one step closer to the development of a humanoid robot that can be put to practical use in a real world environment requiring coexistence with people.

Honda’s robotics program began in 1986 with the aim of creating a home helper for people with limited physical ability, such as the disabled and the elderly.

Here’s an overview of what the update includes:

New cooperative work function: In situations where more than one ASIMO works together, information regarding the current status of each ASIMO will be shared constantly among the multiple networked ASIMOs in order to share tasks in the most efficient manner.
New function to avoid oncoming people: ASIMO identifies oncoming people through its eye camera and calculates their travelling direction and speed, then predicts the movements of oncoming people to choose the most appropriate path so that it will not block the movement of others. When there is not enough space, ASIMO will step back and yield the right-of-way.
New autonomous battery charging function: A new battery charging station was developed for ASIMO’s autonomous recharging. When the remaining battery level falls below a certain level, ASIMO will automatically identify and walk to the closest available battery charging station and re-charge while standing.
Honda will continue its efforts to further advance intelligence technologies with the goal to develop a robot which can be truly useful in a real world environment where coexistence with people is required.

But what I want to know is what happens when the robots tire of their “coexistence” and their servitude? Honda, you have been warned. You might be creating cool, cute robots, but you may also be threatening the future of the human race.