Honda comes out with new version of its Asimo robot

Honda Motor Co. on Tuesday unveiled an updated version of its Asimo humanoid robot that can operate more autonomously — picking up a tray to serve tea to guests, or charging its battery on its own when its power falls under a certain level or when it has worked too hard.

Equipped with improved intelligence technology, the latest Asimo is capable of choosing between stepping back and yielding the right of way or walking ahead while taking into account the movement of approaching people.

Honda said the new Asimos can assist each other because a newly developed system enables them to share information on what they are doing and what needs to be done to complete their assigned tasks.

When idle, the robot will walk to the nearest available charging station to recharge its battery when it finds it necessary.

But if there is work to be done, the robot will leave the charging station to give other Asimos a helping hand if its battery has enough power, Honda said, adding that the robots are now able to perform uninterrupted services.

An Asimo can operate for about one hour on a full charge and requires about 90 minutes to fully power up, said the automaker, which has been one of the world's pioneers in robot technology for more than two decades.

"Although we still need to do further research, I believe the newest technology has marked a big step toward putting humanoid robots in practical use," Tomohiko Kawanabe, senior managing director of Honda R&D Inc., told reporters at the company's Tokyo headquarters.

The company said it will try to make humanoid robots for practical uses after 2010.

Honda said it will run test operations from Wednesday through the end of next month of two Asimos equipped with the latest intelligence technology at its head office, where they will serve as receptionists.

Honda's two-legged robot made its first public appearance in 1986. Following a series of improvements, the original version of the more humanlike Asimo, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, debuted in 2000.

The new Asimo's height is unchanged at 1.3 meters and its exterior features are basically the same as its predecessor introduced in 2005.

Honda's announcement of the latest robot technology came after Toyota Motor Corp. took the wraps off its two newest humanoid robot models in Tokyo last week.

Toyota unveiled a two-legged robot that can play a violin and a wheelchairlike robot designed to provide personal transport over a short distance.

Toyota said it is aiming to put these kinds of human-assisting "partner robots" into practical use in the early 2010s.