Page 128 - Modern Robotics Building Versatile Macines

108 Modern Robotics

These prototype robots generated some interest in the robotics
community, but they were just a prelude to the unveiling of a robot
called Asimo in 2000. Although this name evokes famed science fic-
tion writer Isaac Asimov and his robots, Honda insisted that “Asimo”
stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility. The robot was about
47 inches (1.2 m) tall and weighed 114 pounds (52 kg).
Asimo’s motion was very fluid. Although various forms of
robotic walking had been demonstrated by researchers such as
Marc Raibert, Hirose and the other Honda engineers wanted their
robot to be able to walk in a crowded human environment. To do
so, they decided the robot had to walk like a person, with its bal-
ancing point on the soles of its feet. They concentrated on smooth
movement and the ability to change direction quickly without
stopping or losing balance. The Honda researchers developed a
feature called “i-Walk,” which includes the ability to predict the

OTHER SCIENTISTS: SONY’S ROBOT RESEARCHERS

Sony is the other major Japanese corporation that has gone into mobile
robotics in a big way in recent years. While Honda has focused on
developing service robots, Sony has concentrated on designing robots
for entertainment.
Unlike Honda’s Asimo, Sony’s robots have already walked their way
into thousands of homes. The Aibo robotic dog, introduced in 1999,
can walk, recognize and interact with objects, and respond to spoken
commands. It even includes a simulated learning process where it can
add new commands or behaviors to its repertoire. (Technically minded
owners can also use a special programming language, and students
can even use Aibo as a handy platform for artificial intelligence proj-
ects.) The latest version of Aibo can take pictures and post them on the
Internet—making it the first robotic dog to have its own blog!
Sony has also been working on QRIO (short for Quest for cuRIOs-
ity), a humanoid robot that will attempt to blend Asimo-like walking
skills with artificial intelligence and playful behaviors. More compact
and agile than Asimo, QRIO uses a new type of joint actuator. Like
Asimo, QRIO walks dynamically, based on precise positioning of the
zero movement point (ZMP)—the point where the forces of gravity