Bangkok--14 Sep--Aziam Burson-Marsteller Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Honda’s Bangkok-based Asia & Oceania regional headquarters, today demonstrated the newest talents of ASIMO, Honda’s humanoid robot. Using advanced new technology, ASIMO is now able to interact with humans and process the information necessary to welcome and take care of visitors. Honda strongly believes that in the future, ASIMO can be developed to be a helper for humans in their daily lives. ASIMO will demonstrate its advanced technology to the public at the F.T.I. Fair between 19 and 23 September, 2007. According to Mr. Adisak Rohitasune, Senior Vice President, Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., “ASIMO is one of Honda’s greatest successes, demonstrating our potential for developing highly innovative advanced mobility technologies for the future. ASIMO also reflects Honda’s power of dreams in developing technologies that will help to improve all aspects of the quality of people’s lives. Also, I am very happy to say that Thailand is the first country in Asia & Oceania to meet the new ASIMO, apart from Japan.” Honda began its advanced robotics research and development project in 1986, aiming to integrate various technologies to help improve people’s lives. ASIMO is the result of this project. Currently, ASIMO is equipped with many new technologies that enable it to effectively assist people with several real-life tasks, including: - ASIMO’s advanced mobility. ASIMO’s mobility control technologies have been amazingly enhanced. Now, ASIMO cannot only walk forward, backwards, go up and down stairs and maneuver smoothly around obstructions; it can also move in a circular pattern and run at a maximum of six kilometers per hour. In addition, ASIMO can follow a curve while running at high speeds, thanks to advanced technology that maintains its center of gravity to provide better balance. - ASIMO’s ability to welcome guests. ASIMO can work as a receptionist that can interactively welcome or provide information to guests, thanks to visual and ultrasonic sensor technologies that enable ASIMO to be aware of and understand key aspects of its surrounding environment and automatically respond to people’s movements. ASIMO is also equipped with IC Card (Integrated Circuit Card) technology that allows long distance communication. The card can record the personal data of the cardholder and interact with ASIMO’s sensor systems. This means ASIMO can recognize important information about people including their names and titles, enabling it to accurately address and welcome visitors. - ASIMO’s ability to effectively use its hands and grip objects. In addition to the ability to detect and recognize still and moving objects and carry objects, ASIMO now can operate a cart by itself. Thanks to a tension sensor system in its wrists, ASIMO can adjust its pushing strength in both arms and keep a standard distance from the cart. When facing an obstruction, ASIMO can adjust the cart’s operation by slowing down or changing direction. In addition, ASIMO can accurately pass or receive objects such as a tray, based on information from the integrated functions of a camera mounted in its head and the tension sensor system in its wrists. With the tension sensor technology, ASIMO can hold people’s hands to guide their movement or simply walk hand-in-hand with them. “With advanced physical capabilities, human-like movements and automatic data recognition systems, we are moving towards our dream of having highly-developed technologies such as humanoid robots that will help to improve our quality of life in the future,” concluded Mr. Adisak. After today, ASIMO will perform its new abilities for the public, with the aim to inspire people about the importance of advanced technology. More importantly, Thailand is the first country in Asia & Oceania to meet the new ASIMO. The public is welcome to visit and experience Honda’s technology advancements and enjoy a full-scale ASIMO show free of charge at the F.T.I. Fair. Honda’s technologies will be displayed at the Honda Booth, Hall 2, Impact Muang Thong Thani, between 19 and 23 September, 2007. There will be five ASIMO shows per day at 11.00 hrs., 13.00 hrs., 15.00 hrs., 17.00 hrs. and 19.00 hrs. Media information, please contact: Ref: NR2007-140907-041 Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Anjali Jalichandra Tel.(0) 2236-0256 ext 1500 Email: [email protected] Waraporn Pongpaiboon Tel.(0) 2236-0256 ext 1552 Email: [email protected] Aziam Burson-Marsteller Satida Sritunyatorn Tel.(0) 2252 9871 Email: [email protected] Nattakarn Chamsuwanwong Tel.(0) 2252 9871 Email: [email protected]