Bangkok--20 Sep--Aziam Burson-Marsteller Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Honda’s Bangkok-based Asia & Oceania regional headquarters, had ASIMO, Honda’s humanoid robot, represent the company to present a wrist garland to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who presided over the opening of the F.T.I. Fair at Impact Muang Thong Thani. Using advanced technology, ASIMO will showcase its newest talents to interact with humans and process the information necessary to welcome and take care of visitors, along with demonstrating its ability to run at a maximum of six kilometers per hour. Demonstrations of ASIMO’s unique talents will take place at the F.T.I. Fair from September 19 to 23, 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 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 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. ASIMO’s ability to welcome guests. ASIMO can work as a receptionist that can interactively welcome or provide information to guests, using visual and ultrasonic sensor technologies that enable it to be aware of and understand key aspects of the surrounding environment and automatically respond to people’s movements. ASIMO is also equipped with IC Card (Tele-Interaction Communication 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. “With the aim to inspire people about the importance of advanced technology for the future, Honda is demonstrating ASIMO’s talents in Thailand, which is the first nation in Asia and Oceania, outside Japan, to meet the new ASIMO. ASIMO will demonstrate its new abilities to the public five times a day. We would like to invite Thai youth and members of the public to a full-scale ASIMO show free of charge at the F.T.I. Fair. If you miss this year’s event, you will have to wait a long time for ASIMO to return to Thailand,” concluded Mr. Adisak. There will be five ASIMO shows each day at 11.00 hrs., 13.00 hrs., 15.00 hrs., 17.00 hrs. and 19.00 hrs. In addition to demonstrating ASIMO’s abilities, Honda will organize educational exhibitions and activities featuring other Honda innovations and technology. This includes green innovations that address global warming such as the Honda Fuel Cell eXperimental vehicle (FCX); Solar Cell Thin Film and Home Energy Station (HES); and other mobility innovations such as the Honda Jet and Thai-created Honda Ray motorcycle, with an electro luminescent body, along with power product innovations. Media information, please contact: Ref: NR2007-190907-045 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]