Honda's most popular robot is still the early ASIMO model. With its astronaut-like appearance, 1.2-metre height, and smooth walking style, ASIMO shocked the tech world.
After multiple upgrades, ASIMO has unlocked more skills. For example, it can run at a speed of nearly 9 kilometres per hour, perform continuous jumps while turning, and move smoothly up and down stairs. In addition to its advanced lower limbs, ASIMO's hands also perform well. After the addition of sensors, it can easily open bottles and even communicate via sign language.
With the integration of AI, ASIMO has become smarter. It can perform corresponding actions based on human voice and gesture commands, and possesses basic memory and recognition capabilities. It has even greeted humans and played football.
Furthermore, while ASIMO has made significant progress in bipedal walking and balance control, it still faces technical challenges in certain key areas. However, Honda has not abandoned its robotics efforts, having also launched the Avatar robot and hands-free seated robot.
Honda has recently invented a special robot, which can also be called a walking assistant. This robot has a simple structure, consisting of three parts: shoes, a support frame, and a seat. Simply put on the shoes and lift the seat to use it. It can support part of the human body's weight, reducing the burden on the legs during walking, and can also assist with stair climbing and squatting.
This device is designed to assist individuals with limited mobility, featuring lightweight materials and a compact design. The early model weighs 6.5 kg and can operate for two hours on a single charge. Sensors embedded in the shoes detect the user's walking movements and gait information. After receiving this data, the device controls two motors to distinguish between leg movements and allocate the necessary assistive force to each leg, enabling natural walking.
Additionally, it uses motor power to move the frame between the shoe and seat to bend and extend like the human knee, while lifting the seat to support body weight, thereby reducing the burden on leg muscles and joints (hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint). The invention of this robot will help many people with limited mobility.