Honda's ASIMO robot gets smarter

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2007

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's Honda Motor Co. on Tuesday unveiled a new, smarter version of its ASIMO celebrity humanoid robot.

The walking robots' new skills will allow them to work together in an office environment, the automaker said.

The original ASIMO, born in 2000, has danced and dined with dignitaries and business leaders at home and overseas, serving as a symbol of Japanese technological wizardry.

Makers of robots see big potential for their use in Japan, where the number of elderly people is rapidly growing, causing labour shortages in a country that strictly controls immigration.

Two walking ASIMO humanoids showed off their new skills Tuesday by pushing a cart, carrying cups of tea and serving the drinks to people sat at a table.

They also...