# Honda's newest robot **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458 "2011-11-10T02:00:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/1 "2011-11-10T02:00:12Z")
[http://blogs.newsobserver.com/techjunkie/robot-hondas-new-asimo-in-action](http://blogs.newsobserver.com/techjunkie/robot-hondas-new-asimo-in-action) Meanwhile GM is trying to come up with more cupholders in their SUVs ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/2 "2011-11-10T06:46:12Z")
Holy crap! That is really astonishing. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/3 "2011-11-10T06:46:51Z")
As soon as they can make me a robot with a cupholder, I’m getting one. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/4 "2011-11-10T07:22:29Z")
When can it have boobs? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/5 "2011-11-10T13:28:18Z")
Isn’t Asimo just a sophisticated remote control toy though? Does it have any autonomous capabilities, not controlled by a human with a controller? ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/6 "2011-11-10T14:53:47Z")
I wonder how many tens of millions Honda has invested in making a robot mince? > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Isn’t Asimo just a sophisticated remote control toy though? Does it have any autonomous capabilities, not controlled by a human with a controller? I believe it has some autonomous capabilities, but I don’t know how much programming is required to get it to perform a specific task. It’s very impressive, but I beleive it’s still a long way short of being able to navigate a novel environment. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/7 "2011-11-10T15:06:06Z")
Honda: Making newer and creepier robots with each generation. Now, if they could only make them not look like little kids with a screwed up center of gravity. It seems like at least this one and the last one were very crouched down. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Isn’t Asimo just a sophisticated remote control toy though? Does it have any autonomous capabilities, not controlled by a human with a controller? That was my thought as well. I’d be very surprised if they told it "Here’s a thermos and a cup, open the thermos, pour it into the cup. I’m willing to bet the details programmed into it were just as complex as a car frame welding robot. Cup is at this coordinate, thermos here, grab here with this about of force, lift, pivot, turn, rotate this joint etc etc etc. It’s still fun to watch, but I’m curious (having not read any articles) about what the exact breakthroughs are other then putting a nice skin on it. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/8 "2011-11-10T15:14:58Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > When can it have boobs? Ha! Winner! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/9 "2011-11-10T15:28:33Z")
Want. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/10 "2011-11-10T16:22:30Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > [http://blogs.newsobserver.com/techjunkie/robot-hondas-new-asimo-in-action](http://blogs.newsobserver.com/techjunkie/robot-hondas-new-asimo-in-action) > > Meanwhile GM is trying to come up with more cupholders in their SUVs This is just an publicity stunt, but people don’t think welding robots are sexy anymore. The Japanese seem to go nuts for anthropomorphic robots, but they aren’t particularly useful. As far as I know Honda is actually behind the curve on robocars. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/11 "2011-11-10T16:38:14Z")
Of course this is a publicity stunt, but quite impressive and I am sure it is getting manufacturers and employers pause. Maybe not in the very near future, but soon enough it will become profitable to assign even more menial tasks to a robot. And then, at some point, it becomes cost effective to hire a fleet of them to take over what used to be done by those lazy, shiftless humans who demanded sleep, food, holidays and insurance. Then again, this might be the future answer to outsourcing manufacturing to other countries - why bother when you have “free” robots doing the work in the factory behind your office next door? Perhaps Dyson will start getting involved - I mean, as long as they are roaming around the house/factory, they might as well vacuum. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/12 "2011-11-10T17:30:52Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Perhaps Dyson will start getting involved - I mean, as long as they are roaming around the house/factory, they might as well vacuum. You can already buy [robot vacuum cleaners](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeOxGuR7L7U). They automatically map a room to ensure they cover it completely. It’s a fairly simple task to program, which is what makes it a viable product. They can also find their way back to their recharging station. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/13 "2011-11-10T17:44:39Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > I believe it has some autonomous capabilities, but I don’t know how much programming is required to get it to perform a specific task. It’s very impressive, but I beleive it’s still a long way short of being able to navigate a novel environment. Nonetheless, I’m putting [Yoshimi](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq-W-4Izjwc) on speed dial. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/14 "2011-11-10T18:07:10Z")
Here are [four kittens riding a robot vacuum cleaner](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTxW3GWZ5hI&feature=related). > [@RTFirefly](#): > > Nonetheless, I’m putting [Yoshimi](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq-W-4Izjwc) on speed dial. 😉 Didn’t watch the whole thing, but I don’t get it. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hondas-newest-robot/602458/15 "2011-11-10T18:49:32Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Of course this is a publicity stunt, but quite impressive and I am sure it is getting manufacturers and employers pause. Maybe not in the very near future, but soon enough it will become profitable to assign even more menial tasks to a robot. And then, at some point, it becomes cost effective to hire a fleet of them to take over what used to be done by those lazy, shiftless humans who demanded sleep, food, holidays and insurance. > > Then again, this might be the future answer to outsourcing manufacturing to other countries - why bother when you have “free” robots doing the work in the factory behind your office next door? Asimo isn’t a practical robot. It’s hands are almost useless. We already have delivery robots to haul parts from one part of the factory to another. Foxconn already has plans to build 1 million robots for their **Chinese** factories. If robots are cheaper than people in China, then we are screwed. Of course, companies aren’t going to bother going offshore when replacing people with robots are cheaper. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/30/c\_131018764.htm](http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/30/c_131018764.htm) Of course autonomous vehicles will be interesting. What happens when the Bus, Truck and Taxi drivers no longer have jobs? New York and London are already experimenting with unmanned trains. Nevada legalized autonomous vehicles just this year.