Asimo Robot Is A Rubbish Tour Guide (But Honda Syas It Will Help You With Vending Machines...)

The Most Advanced Humanoid In The World...
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Honda Motor's humanoid robot Asimo interacts with visitors at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo on July 3, 2013. Honda developed an autonomous behavior control technology, which enables Asimo to make decisions required to behave in concert with the movements of the surrounding people without being controlled by an operator. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images)
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It seemed like such a good idea.

Use Honda's most cutting-edge humanoid to act as a tour guide for the Miraikan Museum dedicated to the history of robotics.

Only there have been a few glitches. Asimo, as the nimble-footed robot chap is called, can't tell the difference between people waving or taking a photo.

Or respond to verbal questions.

Or tell the diference between an adult and a child.

Or comprehend the meaning of hand gestures.

In fact when asked what job Asimo would be good at, Honda said "helping people to buy tickets from a vending machine".

Hardly revolutionary.

But this does do a disservice to the incredible technology that goes into Asimo who has been continuously developed for 13 years.

He can walk, negotiate steps, dance and play the violin. He can even run which requires both feet being off the ground at the same time, a remarkable achievement for a robot.

The latest prototype was sent into the destroyed reactor 2 in Fukushima, damaged during the 2011 earthquake, to test for radiation levels.