In November 2011, Honda established a collective term, Honda Robotics, and the logo to represent Honda's robotics technologies and application products created through its research and development of humanoid robot represented by ASIMO.
“If we could make a product like this, mobility would be more fun.” This is the spirit that infuses Honda's ongoing robotics research, which in addition to developing ASIMO strives to propose compelling, next-generation mobility solutions like the Walking Assist Device and U3-X that excite and inspire people. Going forward, we will also work actively to accelerate the process of bringing applied products to practical use.
Honda Robotics logo mark
The all-new ASIMO is now advanced from an "automatic machine" to an "autonomous machine" with the decision-making capability to determine its behavior in concert with its surroundings such as movements of people. This new functionality has driven a dramatic advance in ASIMO's capabilities as the world's first* robot capable of controlling its behavior autonomously, for example continue moving without being controlled by an operator.
Honda identified the following three factors as necessary for a robot to perform as an autonomous machine, and the technologies required to realize these capabilities were developed; 1) high-level postural balancing capability which enables the robot to maintain its posture by putting out its leg in an instant, 2) external recognition capability which enables the robot to integrate information, such as movements of people around it, from multiple sensors and estimate the changes that are taking place, and 3) the capability to generate autonomous behavior which enables the robot to make predictions from gathered information and autonomously determine the next behavior without being controlled by an operator. With these capabilities, the all-new ASIMO takes another step closer to practical use in an environment where it coexists with people.
*According to Honda research (as of November 8, 2011).
The new ASIMO was announced in 2011.
Intelligence capabilities
Honda has developed a new system that is a fundamental technology for advanced intelligence, which comprehensively evaluates inputs from multiple sensors that are equivalent to the visual, auditory, and tactile senses of a human being, then estimates the situation of the surrounding environment and determines the corresponding behavior of the robot. With this technology, ASIMO became capable of responding to the movement of people and the surrounding situations. Moreover, coordination between visual and auditory sensors enables ASIMO to simultaneously recognize a face and voice, enabling ASIMO to recognize the voices of multiple people who are speaking simultaneously, which is difficult even for a human being to accomplish.
Physical capabilities
In addition to strengthened legs and an expanded range of leg movement , a newly developed control technology that enables ASIMO to change landing positions in the middle of a motion has enabled ASIMO to walk, run, run backward, hop on one leg or on two legs continuously. With this technology, ASIMO has become capable of more flexibly adapting to changing external situations so that it can, as an example, walk over an uneven surface while maintaining a stable posture.
Task-performing capabilities
Honda has developed a highly functional compact multi-fingered hand, which has a tactile sensor and a force sensor imbedded on the palm and in each finger, respectively, and which acts to control each finger independently. Combined with the object recognition technology based on visual and tactile senses, this multi-fingered hand enables the all-new ASIMO to perform tasks with dexterity, such as picking up a glass bottle and twisting off the cap, or holding a soft paper cup to pour a liquid without squishing it. Moreover, ASIMO is now capable of making sign language expressions which require the complex movement of fingers.
The task-performing robot arm takes the place of people to perform work at disaster sites and other hazardous areas that are too dangerous for people to enter.
The application of other ASIMO technologies such as the compact layout structural designing technique and multi-joint simultaneous orbit control technology that simultaneously controls numbers of motors imbedded in the joints of the arms and legs has enabled the robot arm to to moves on a self-propelled base and stabilize the posture of the end of the arm even on an unstable surface so that the robot arm can exert the necessary power output to perform the task. Toward this end, the robot arm was made possible to be remotely controlled to avoid obstacles and approach the object even in a narrow space with obstacles such as a complicated layout of pipelines.
In the development process, the robot arm is designed to perform the task of opening and closing valves on pipelines; however, it will become capable of performing a variety of tasks by changing the end piece of the arm.
The task-performing robot arm was announced in 2011.
Designed to be worn by individuals whose leg strength has deteriorated due to age or illness, Honda's Walking Assist Device with Stride Management System helps the wearer walk by adjusting stride length and walking rhythm so as to assist leg movements.
Like ASIMO, the Walking Assist Device incorporates proprietary Honda control technologies mimicking human walking that were achieved through the cumulative study of human walking. Applying cooperative control based on the information obtained from hip angle sensors, the motors provide optimal assistance based on a command from the control CPU. With this assist, the user's stride will be lengthened compared to the user's normal stride without the device and therefore and the user can walk faster, further, and more easily.
The compact design of the device was achieved with flat brushless motors and a control system developed by Honda. In addition, a simple design to be worn with a belt around the hip and thigh was employed to help achieve overall weight as light as approximately 2.4kilograms. As a result, the device reduces the user's load and can be fit to different body shapes.
The Walking Assist Device with Stride Management System was announced in 2008.
Honda's Walking Assist Device with Stride Management System
helps elderly evacuees at temporary housing
walk
Honda is participating in the Kesennuma Kizuna Project, an effort led by Advanced Industrial Science and Technology*1 (AIST) to offer ongoing assistance to city residents who have been affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The project is geared to help revitalize bonds of friendship in the form of interaction and connections among people both in and outside the region, for example by placing trailers with stores and multipurpose areas at temporary housing sites, where the formation of a local community is an issue. Honda is supplying its Walking Assist Device with Stride Management System to help elderly residents with weakened legs to walk more easily.
In addition to playing the role of providing a range of data gained from this initiative as feedback to aid activities, we are striving to revitalize the bonds of friendship in the form of interaction and connections among people both in and outside the region, a key issue in the recovery effort. Going forward, Honda will continue to actively contribute to the development of local communities.
*1 Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
AIST, Japan's largest public research institution, conducts research in six diverse fields: Environment and Energy; Life Science and Biotechnology; Information Technology and Electronics; Nanotechnology, Materials and Manufacturing; Metrology and Measurement Science; and Geological Survey and Applied Geoscience. The institution works to turn research and development results into innovation through organic partnerships with industry, higher education, and government.
The new walking assist device with the bodyweight support system reduces the load on leg muscles and joints (in the hip, knees, and ankles) by supporting a portion of the person's bodyweight.
The device has a simple structure consisting of seat, frame, and shoes, and the user can put it on by simply wearing the shoes and lifting the seat into position. Moreover, a mechanism that directs the assisting force toward the user's center of gravity and the ability to control the assist force in concert with the movement of the legs make it possible for the device to provide natural assistance in various postures and motions such as walking, going up and down stairs, standing. and in a semi-crouching position.
The device only weighs about 6.5 kilograms, and it lifts itself as it operates so that the user has very little sense of the unit's weight. Additionally, the device is designed to fit between the legs so that it offers little resistance during maneuvers such as changing directions.
The Walking Assist Device with Bodyweight Support System was announced in 2008.
The U3-X features a compact, one-wheel style design that allows the operator to move freely side-to-side, forward, backward, or diagonally by simply leaning the upper body to shift body weight. This personal mobility solution, which combines the capabilities of a person and a vehicle, lets the user move in any direction, turn, stop, and control their speed, just as if they were walking under their own power.
The high degree of freedom manifested in the U3-X's movement derives from the use of balance control technology developed as part of ASIMO research and the proprietary* Honda Omni Traction Drive System, the first of its kind in the world. We kept the device as small as possible—it fits between the feet in order to provide a comfortable ride that inspires peace of mind, keep the user's eyes level with pedestrians so that a natural line of sight can be maintained, and enable hands-free movement.
Even with all the technology it incorporates, the U3-X weighs less than 10 kilograms, allowing it to be easily carried.
UNI-CUB, an evolution of the U3-X toward commercialization, is designed for use in indoor spaces and facilities with lots of foot traffic. Compared to the U3-X, it is distinguished by improved stability and travel performance as well as an additional turning wheel that has been uncoupled from its balance control, making it easier to turn the unit. Since the device can be controlled either by shifting one's body weight or by choosing a direction and speed with a smartphone or other touch-panel device, it's easy to use, even for beginners.
*According to Honda research.
Basic specifications are available here.
The U3-X was announced in 2009.
The UNI-CUB was announced in 2012.
