Honda's robot greets and serves drinks

What a difference a robot-year makes.

Only last year, Honda Motor's now-familiar humanoid robot, Asimo, was learning how to run and avoid tripping over obstacles. Now, the 5-year-old droid is ready to take on simple office work, greeting visitors and fetching refreshments.

Japan's third-biggest carmaker, known for its cutting-edge robot technology, introduced on Tuesday a second-generation Asimo that can also push a cart weighing up to 10kg, walking straight, sideways or backwards with it.

With more joints and flexibility of movement, Asimo can now also grip and carry a tray of drinks, placing it safely on a table.

Demonstrating its latest tricks through video footage, Honda showed the 1.3m-tall Asimo addressing a mock visitor by name and showing her to a conference room, all the while maintaining a steady and natural distance from the guest.

Credit: Honda

"Welcome, Sato-san," Asimo said, bowing deeply as per standard Japanese etiquette.

By preprogramming the guest's name, meeting room and other data in an integrated circuit (IC) tag to be worn by the visitor upon arrival, an office worker can remotely send commands to Asimo, which in turn would pick up the commands through a built-in IC tag reader.

Behind the seemingly simple tasks are myriad advanced sensor, image- and voice-recognition and other technologies that Honda says will be applied to its core automotive business to improve safety and other features.

The bubble-headed droid can also run twice as fast as a prototype unveiled last December, at 6km per hour.

Always eager to entertain, Asimo prepared to demonstrate his increased speed by mimicking a runner stretching before a race, extending his arms and balancing on one leg at a time to loosen his ankles in a fluid, human-like motion.

Asimo then took his mark and, joints creaking, dashed across the stage, easing to a complete stop in just four quick steps.

Honda said it would start putting the new Asimo to use at its research and development facility in Wako, near Tokyo, starting in the spring. It will also eventually be made available for leasing.

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