Asimo gets smarter, can work in groups

Just in time for the holidays, here comes the Asimo swarm.

Honda Motor has continued to evolve its humanoid robot Asimo and has equipped it with new smarts that lets it work in groups and for one to take over when another is recharging.

Asimo can now operate in an environment with people as well as other Asimos. Robots working together will wirelessly share data such as battery levels and the closest unit to a given task. Each works autonomously based on the networked information.

Another new AI function allows Asimo to estimate the path of people walking toward it based on their speed and direction and to avoid them by stepping back if necessary.

And when Asimo's battery level falls below a certain level, it will return to its recharging station and power up.

This marks the first Asimo upgrade since 2005. Having solved most major engineering challenges in building a bipedal robot, Honda has been focusing on Asimo's AI skills.

Check out the Honda videos here.

The latest version will be serving refreshments at Honda's Tokyo HQ this month and next. Eggnog, anyone?

Smart vac-bot hits Osaka streets

A new cleaning robot with smarts can recognize objects and people with a laser sensor. The Figla Eye, developed by Tokyo-based glass maker Figla Co., has been put on display in Osaka by local industry group Robot Laboratory to showcase its abilities.

Originally developed in 2004, the Eye can automatically clean every nook and cranny of a room by using a variety of ultrasonic distance sensors to find walls and corners. On a single battery charge it can operate for an hour at full capacity or two hours at reduced capacity.

An on-board camera system allows for remote home monitoring through wireless LAN. It can also wax floors.

The latest model can differentiate between people and inanimate objects, within a radius of several meters, based on shape by using a laser sensor that rotates 10 times per second.

The Eye is designed for use in offices, hospitals, hotels and large public facilities. Figla aims to commercialize it within a year, according to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper.