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106 Modern Robotics
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
in 1994, is believed by Honda to be the world’s first true humanoid
walking robot. The next year they demonstrated P2, which dispensed
Who would have thought that a robot could dance with such fluidity and
assurance? (Photo courtesy of Honda Motor Corp., Japan)
