ASIMO (Honda)

ASIMO is a humanoid robot built by the Japanese carmaker Honda. It was unveiled in 2000 and became the world's best-known walking robot for about two decades.

What it was

ASIMO stood roughly the height of a child, about 130 cm. It could walk smoothly, climb stairs, run, hop, and carry a tray. Honda used it for demonstrations at science museums and events around the world.

Why it mattered

Before ASIMO, most humanoids walked in a stiff, shuffling way. ASIMO used a control method that adjusted its balance every fraction of a second, a bit like how you correct your posture when a bus brakes. This idea, constantly sensing and correcting, is the same one behind modern humanoids such as Atlas.

What it could not do

ASIMO was mostly a research and demonstration robot. It was never sold as a practical helper in homes or factories. Many of its moves were carefully prepared in advance, so it was not as free-thinking as it looked.

What happened to it

Honda stopped developing ASIMO in 2018 and moved the research toward other robotics projects. ASIMO's biggest legacy is not a product. It showed engineers that a walking humanoid was possible and inspired a generation of robot builders.

What to learn from it

A robot that moves well on stage still needs much more to be useful at work: strength, battery life, safety and a reasonable price. This gap is exactly what today's humanoid companies are trying to close.