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Honda's Asimo robot to retire after 20-year career

22 Comments

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22 Comments
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A role model for many of us. Never involved in a scandal or crime. Enjoy your retirement.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Farewell, Asimo. Would have been interesting to read how many times parts had to be replaced over 20 years, which parts wore down quickly, slip & falls, mishaps, etc. Either it’s proprietary for Honda or to just to protect Asimo’s ‘privacy’.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Perhaps Honda should have put these into mass production. Much better suited for Japan’s pitiful ¥930 minimum wage and demeaning OL work than Japan’s now disillusioned college ‘graduates’:

“mastering the abilities to run, hop on one leg, speak sign language using five fingers and pour coffee into a paper cup from a tumbler.”

5 ( +9 / -4 )

@snowymountainhell

Could not agree more. I still see OL's being treated like crap by having to serve tea to clients. This should be something that Asimo should have been doing all along so that women can do meaningful tasks and work on improving skills. I don't know, maybe I'm just ranting but the women here need to be treated fairly at work.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Good for him. Hope he gets to enjoy his retirement years taking up fishing or sitting in a quiet closet somewhere away from the public's prying eyes.

Seeing Asimo always felt like a nice landmark for how far robotics had come, I guess whatever is coming up next will be even more impressive.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

20 years is an incredibly long time...

Putting that into perspective (from a personal level for me). I remember when I was a little kid and being mesmerised by Asimo - and fast forward the years to the present day and watching my daughters being entertained by Asimo.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

We remember seeing Asimo at the Miraikan, . . . running around and waving to children . . . .

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Are you happy?” My daughter always says “you look so sad” when looking at robot’s big eyes.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Asimo has demonstrated its human-like abilities overseas too. In 2002, the year marking the 25th anniversary of Honda's listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Asimo rang the bell of the stock market to open the trading session.

Asimo also famously fell down a flight a stairs during a showcase.

It has long since been superseded by the Boston Dynamics/Samsung bots in ambulatory abilities.

Another symbol of the decline of Japanese innovation. Thanks LDP!

1 ( +10 / -9 )

Will it get any pension too?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Should have kept Asimo and further develop it, instead of that planned avatar thing, which seems even to become quite some steps back in robotics, according to the description above.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ha! That's never been a robot. That's just a toy with a "cute" image.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

Who is going to get me a seat at Sushiro ?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sad.

My 4 year-old son blew a Pepper's circuits when he asked it a few simple questions in English.

Recently we encountered one again.This time Pepper was only programmed to repeat 'Irrashaimase' as nauseum.

Progress.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

JtsnoseMar. 28  09:45 am JST

We remember seeing Asimo at the Miraikan, . . . running around and waving to children . . 

There are numerous robots like this used as greeters at the opening gates of state fairgrounds. Some of them are accompanied by music soundtracks and may be on Segway's. Children and mothers love to pose selfies with them.

And ASIMO inspired them all. Now we are progressing in robotics, particularly with the Boston Dynamics 'Dancing Machines' and such. Sayonara, ASIMO. Enjoy your 'retirement' and domo arigato.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

After Aibo the dog, Pepper kun, another pet .robot is disappearing.

Although it has certainly contributed in technology development, it just show this is just a toy that does not fit with human real sociability search

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

A cute toy, but not at all a useful tool. Better than Pepper, at least, which is one of the most annoying things I've ever seen and is little more than a coatrack where it still exists.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

They're getting rid of him because he refused the vax

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

A complete waste.

-16 ( +6 / -22 )

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