Portal:Robotics/Featured robot/1

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ASIMO is a humanoid robot created by Honda Motor Company. Standing at 130 centimeters (4 feet 3 inches) and weighing 54 kilograms (119 lbs.), the robot resembles a small astronaut wearing a backpack and can walk on two feet in a manner resembling human locomotion at up to 6 km/h (3.7 mph). ASIMO was created at Honda's Research & Development Wako Fundamental Technical Research Center in Japan. It is the current model in a line of eleven that began in 1986 with E0.

Officially, the name is an acronym for "Advanced Step in Innovative MObility". Honda's official statements indicate that the robot's name is not an homage to science fiction writer and inventor of the Three Laws of Robotics, Isaac Asimov. As of 2002, there were 20 ASIMO units in existence. Each one costs less than $1 million to manufacture, and some units are available to be hired out for $150,000 per month.