asimo
TRANSCRIPT
ASIMO
INTRODUCTION
ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, was developed by the Honda
Motor Company and is the most advanced humanoid robot in the world. According to the
developers , ASIMO is the only humanoid robot in the world that can walk independently and climb
stairs. While there are several other humanoid robots that can walk, none have the smooth, realistic
gait that ASIMO has.
In addition to ASIMO's ability to walk like we do, it can also understand spoken commands and
recognize faces. ASIMO has arms and hands so it can do things like turn on light switches, open
doors, carry objects, and push carts etc.
The sole aim of Honda was to create a robot that would help the people in their house, help the
elderly, or help someone confined to a wheelchair or bed. This allows ASIMO to do the jobs it was
created to do without being too big and menacing. ASIMO could also do jobs that are too dangerous
for humans to do, like going into hazardous areas, diffusing bombs, or fighting fires etc.
Humanoid robots are robots that are at least loosely based on the appearance of the human body.
Most humanoid robots have a humanoid torso, two legs, two arms, and some form of a head. Some
humanoid robots also include a face on the head, which can come in different degrees of
expressiveness.
1 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
WHAT IS A ROBOT?
A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks repeatedly, with speed and precision. There
are as many different types of robots as there are tasks for them to perform.
A robot can be controlled by a human operator, sometimes from a great distance. But most robots are
controlled by computer, and fall into either of two categories: autonomous robots and insect robots. An
autonomous robot acts as a stand-alone system, complete with its own computer (called the controller).
Insect robots work in fleets ranging in number from a few to thousands, with all fleet members under the
supervision of a single controller. The term insect arises from the similarity of the system to a colony of
insects, where the individuals are simple but the fleet as a whole can be sophisticated.
WHAT IS A HUMANOID ROBOT?
A humanoid robot is an autonomous robot because it can adapt to changes in its environment or itself and
continue to reach its goal. This is the main difference between humanoid and other kinds of robots. In this
context, some of the capacities of a humanoid robot may include, among others:
self-maintenance (like recharging itself)
autonomous learning (learn or gain new capabilities without outside assistance, adjust strategies
based on the surroundings and adapt to new situations)
avoiding harmful situations to people, property, and itself
safe interacting with human beings and the environment
Like other mechanical robots, humanoid refer to the following basic components too: Sensing, Actuating
and Planning and Control. Since they try to simulate the human structure and behavior and they are
autonomous systems, most of the times humanoid robots are more complex than other kinds of robots.
Humanoid robots are created to imitate some of the same physical and mental tasks that humans undergo
daily. Scientists and specialists from many different fields including engineering, cognitive science, and
linguistics combine their efforts to create a robot as human-like as possible. Their creators' goal for the
robot is that one day it will be able to both understand human intelligence, reason and act like humans. If
humanoids are able to do so, they could eventually work in cohesion with humans to create a more
productive and higher quality future. Another important benefit of developing androids is to understand
the human body's biological and mental processes, from the seemingly simple act of walking to the
concepts of consciousness and spirituality. Right now they are used for welding. In the future they can
greatly assist humans by welding and mining for coal.
2 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
HISTORY
It was in the 1986 that the Honda Company began developing the ASIMO robot. The first robot
Honda built was called E0. E0 walked very slowly, taking sometimes 10 seconds to complete a
single step. This was because E0 did what was called "static walking". In static walking, after the
robot begins moving one foot forward, it has to wait until it has its weight balanced on that foot
before it begins to move the other foot forward. But humans don't walk that way, so the research
continued.
To achieve a fast walking pace, it was necessary to study how human beings walk. The Honda
engineers thoroughly researched and analyzed human walking and animal walking. The movement
and location of joints needed were also researched. By 1987, Engineers developed a new method of
walking called the “Dynamic Walking”. As technology improved, versions called E1, E2, E3, E4,
E5 and E6 were brought out. Each of these versions had innovations of their own.
With a body, arms, hands and a head, the next generation of prototypes (P1, P2 and P3) looked more
like a "humanoid”. P1, however, was a looming 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall and weighed 386
pounds (175 kg). P2 was scaled down slightly in height, but weighed an even heavier 463 pounds
(210 kg), it could walk very well on uneven surfaces, inclines, and could even grasp objects and
push carts. P2 could even maintain its balance when pushed. Finally, P3 was built at a more
comfortable (and less frightening) 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm) tall. Weighing 287 pounds (130 kg), P3
could walk faster and more smoothly than its predecessors.
Even more improvements had been made to the walking system, allowing ASIMO to walk
gracefully and easily in almost any environment. Sophisticated hip joints allowed ASIMO to turn
smoothly (something other robots have to stop and shuffle in order to do.)
In thinking about how ASIMO was to be used, the engineers made the decision to further reduce
ASIMO's size to 4 feet (122 cm) so that not only would it not be intimidating to people who were
seated (or standing, for that matter), it would actually be at eye level. This height also made it
possible for ASIMO to work at table height or at a computer, reach light switches and turn door
knobs. ASIMO's very strong but lightweight magnesium-alloy body, covered in plastic "skin,"
weighed in at only 115 pounds (52 kg).
Technology called "Intelligent walking technology" allowed ASIMO to predict its next movement
automatically and shift its weight to make a turn. ASIMO's stride could also be adjusted in real time
to make it walk faster or slower. P2 and P3 had to use programmed walking patterns.
In robotics, vision is a captured image that is interpreted based on programmed templates. In a
manufacturing environment, where robotic arms build cars or robots inspect the microscopic
3 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
connections on semiconductor chips, you're dealing with a controlled environment. The lighting is
always the same, the angle is always the same, and there are a limited number of things to look at
and understand. In the real (and unstructured) world, however, the number of things to look at and
understand increases greatly.
A humanoid robot that must navigate through homes, buildings, or outdoors while performing jobs
must be able to make sense of the many objects it "sees." Shadows, odd angles and movement must
be understandable. For example, to walk on its own into an unknown area, a robot would have to
detect and recognize objects in real time, selecting features such as color, shape, and edges to
compare to a database of objects or environments it knows about. There can be thousands of objects
in the robots "memory."
4 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
CONFIGURATION
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ASIMO
WALKING
Honda researched both human and other forms of walking, performed numerous experiments and
collected an immense amount of data. Based on this research, Honda established fast walking
technology just like a human’s. Honda researchers began by studying the legs of insects, mammals,
and the motion of a mountain climber with prosthetic legs to better understand the physiology and
all of the things that take place when we walk, particularly in the joints. For example, the fact that
we shift our weight using our bodies and especially our arms in order to balance was very important
in getting ASIMO's walking mechanism right. The fact that we have toes that help with our balance
was also taken into consideration: ASIMO actually has soft projections on its feet that play a similar
role to the one our toes play when we walk. This soft material also absorbs impact on the joints, just
as our soft tissues do when we walk.
ASIMO has hip, knee, and foot joints. Robots have joints that researchers refer to as "degrees of
freedom." A single degree of freedom allows movement either right and left or up and down.
ASIMO has 26 degrees of freedom spread over different points of its body in order to allow it to
move freely. There are two degrees of freedom in ASIMO's neck, six on each arm and six on each
leg. The number of degrees of freedom necessary for ASIMO's legs was decided by measuring
human joint movement while walking on flat ground and on stairs.
Achieving Stable Walking
Issues to be address in order to achieve stable walking were
Not falling down even when the floor is uneven
Not falling down even when pushed
Being able to walk stable on stairs or slopes
The Engineers combined three controls to achieve stable walking for ASIMO. They are Floor
reaction control, Target ZMP control and Foot planting location control
6 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
1.Floor Reaction Control
The floor reaction control absorbs irregularities in the floor and controls the placement
of the soles of the feet when falling is imminent. For example, if the tip of the robot’s toe steps on a
rock, the actual center of ground reaction shifts to the tip of the toe. The floor reaction control then
causes the toe to rise slightly, returning the center of ground reaction to the target ZMP
2.Target ZMP Control
Zero moment point (ZMP) is defined as that point where the total inertial force is zero.
Target ZMP will control ASIMO to maintain position by accelerating the upper torso in the direction
in which it threatens to fall when the soles of the feet cannot stand firmly.
3.Foot Planting Location Control
When target ZMP control operates, the target position of the upper torso shifts in the
direction of acceleration. When the next step is taken in the ideal step length, the feet will fall behind
the torso. The Foot planting location control idealizes the stride to ensure the ideal relationship
between torso speed and length of stride
7 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
INTELLIGENT WALKING TECHNOLOGY
Intelligent walking technology features a predicted movement control added to the earlier walking
control technology. This new two legged walking technology permits more flexible walking. As a
result, ASIMO can walk more smoothly and more naturally.
Creating Prediction Movement Control
When human beings walk straight ahead and start to turn a corner, before commencing the turn they
shift their centre of gravity toward the inside of the turn. Using Intelligent Walking Technology
ASIMO can predict next movement in real time and shift its centre of gravity in anticipation
8 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
VISION
In robotics, vision is a captured image that is interpreted based on programmed templates. In a
manufacturing environment, where robotic arms build cars or robots inspect the microscopic
connections on semiconductor chips, you're dealing with a controlled environment. The lighting is
always the same, the angle is always the same, and there are a limited number of things to look at
and understand. In the real (and unstructured) world, however, the number of things to look at and
understand increases greatly.
A humanoid robot that must navigate through homes, buildings, or outdoors while performing jobs
must be able to make sense of the many objects it "sees." Shadows, odd angles and movement must
be understandable. For example, to walk on its own into an unknown area, a robot would have to
detect and recognize objects in real time, selecting features such as color, shape, and edges to
compare to a database of objects or environments it knows about. There can be thousands of objects
in the robots "memory."
ASIMO's vision system consists of basic video cameras for eyes, located in its head. ASIMO uses a
proprietary vision algorithm that lets it see, recognize, and avoid running into objects even if their
orientation and lighting are not the same as those in its memory database. These cameras can detect
multiple objects, recognize programmed faces, and even interpret hand motions. For example, when
you hold your hand up to ASIMO in a "stop" position, ASIMO stops. The facial recognition feature
allows ASIMO to greet "familiar" people.
ASIMO is not an autonomous robot. It can't enter a room and make decisions on its own about how
to navigate. ASIMO either has to be programmed to do a specific job in a specific area that has
markers that it understands, or it has to be manually controlled by a human.
9 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
CONTROLLERS
ASIMO's "backpack" carries the computer that controls ASIMO's movement. ASIMO can be
controlled by three methods:
PC
Wireless controller (sort of like a joystick)
Voice commands
Using wireless technology and a laptop or desktop computer, we can control ASIMO as well as see
what ASIMO sees via its camera eyes. ASIMO can also use its PC connection to access the Internet
and retrieve information for us, such as weather reports and news.
The wireless joystick controller operates ASIMO's movements the same way we would operate a
remote-control car. We can make ASIMO go forward, backward, sideways, diagonally, turn in
place, or walk around a corner. Making ASIMO move by remote control may not seem that
advanced, but ASIMO does have the ability to self-adjust its steps. If it walks forward, and
encounters a slope or some sort of obstacle, ASIMO automatically adjusts its steps to accommodate
the terrain.
There are also preprogrammed gestures that can be selected using buttons on the controller. These
include things like waving, grasping, and responding in other ways.
ASIMO's ability to understand voice commands is the newest addition for control. Its database
includes about 30 different spoken commands that activate certain movements in ASIMO's
repertoire.
In addition to the voice commands for controlling ASIMO's movements, there are also spoken
commands to which ASIMO can respond verbally. This is the feature that has made it possible for
ASIMO to work as a receptionist, greeting visitors and answering questions.
10 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
POWER
Like most other technologies in the robotics field, ASIMO is powered by servo motors. These are
small but powerful motors with a rotating shaft that moves limbs or surfaces to a specific angle as
directed by a controller. Once the motor has turned to the appropriate angle, it shuts off until it is
instructed to turn again. For example, a servo may control the angle of a robot's arm joint, keeping it
at the right angle until it needs to move, and then controlling that move. Servos use a position-
sensing device (also called a digital decoder) to ensure that the shaft of the motor is in the right
position. They usually use power proportional to the mechanical load they are carrying. A lightly
loaded servo, for example, doesn't use much energy.
ASIMO has 26 servo motors in its body that move its arms, hands, legs, feet, ankles, and other
moving parts. ASIMO manages a series of servo motors to control each kind of movement.
BATTERIES REQUIRED
ASIMO is powered by a rechargeable, 51.8 volt lithium ion (Li-ION) battery that lasts for one hour
on a single charge. The battery is stored in ASIMO's backpack and weighs about 13 pounds.
ASIMO's battery takes three hours to fully charge, so a second (and third) battery is crucial if you
needed ASIMO to operate for very long. Users can charge the battery onboard ASIMO through a
power connection or remove the backpack to charge separately.
11 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
SPECIFICATIONS
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ASIMO
FEATURES
Its main features are its friendly design, compactness, light weight body and more over the advanced
walking technology. ASIMO’s size was chosen to allow it to operate in the human living space and
to make it people friendly. A robot height between 120cm and that of an adult is ideal for operating
in the human living space. This height characteristic makes ASIMO more user friendly than any
other new age robots. A relative comparison is given below
13 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
APPLICATIONS
Although ASIMO isn't quite ready for prime time (there are still improvements that need to be made
to allow it to fully function as Honda hopes), several ASIMO robots have been put to work in
Japanese businesses, including IBM Japan and the National Museum of Emerging Science and
Innovation in Tokyo. ASIMO works as a receptionist in these businesses, greeting guests and
leading them around the facilities.
To perform these duties, ASIMO has to be specially programmed to know the layout of the
buildings and the appropriate way to greet visitors and answer questions. While the heavy lease
amount for ASIMO might be steep when compared to the salary these businesses would pay a
human receptionist, the coolness factor appears to be worth the price.
14 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
In addition to ASIMO, there are some other sophisticated humanoid robots out there that appear
to do a lot of the same things (except for the smooth turning). The difference is that most of them are
built on a much smaller scale and are intended more for entertainment than service. Right now,
ASIMO's greatest competition in terms of technology seems to be:
SONY's QRIO robot
Fujitsu's HOAP-1 robot
Dr. Robot
There are also robots used in hospitals around the world that navigate hallways and take elevators to
deliver patient records, x-rays, medicines, and other things all over the hospital. They travel on
wheels and are programmed to identify and follow markers and bar codes placed on the walls.
SOME FACTS
It has been reported that because ASIMO's walk is so eerily human-like, Honda engineers felt
compelled to visit the Vatican just to make sure it was okay to build a machine that was so much
like a human. (The Vatican thought it was okay.)
The maker company said that it had chosen 3 clients out of 40 offers for long term contract.
Among them is IBM, Japan, which hired Asimo as a receptionist for an annual contract of 20 million
yen ($ 1,66,200).
15 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU
ASIMO
CONCLUSION
ASIMO was conceived to function in an actual human living environment in the near future. It is
easy to operate, has a convenient size and weight and can move freely within the human living
environment, all with a people friendly design. In the future, ASIMO may serve as another set of
eyes, ears, hands and legs for all kinds of people in need. Someday ASIMO might help with
important tasks like assisting the elderly or a person confined to a bed or a wheelchair. ASIMO
might also perform certain tasks that are dangerous to humans, such as fighting fires or cleaning up
toxic spills
REFERENCES
1. The Coming Robot Revolution: Expectations and Fears about emerging Intelligent, Human –
like Machines-By Yoseph Bar-Cohen, David Hanson
2. http://www.honda.ca/HondaCorpEng/AboutHonda/ASIMO/Inside_ASIMO.htm
3. http://mechatronics.mech.western.edu/design/actuators/servomotor_intro.html
4. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/asimo.htm/printable
5. http://www.forbes.com/home/21tentech.html
6. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,849588,00.asp
16 Dept: of Mechanical Engg, SNGCE ,KADAYIRIPPU