March of the Consumer Robots
From: BBC News - 01/11/2007
By: Darren Waters

Honda's Asimo robot is the poster-child for prototype robots that could one
day be found in households worldwide. The latest version of Asimo can walk
forward and backward, up and down stairs, and even run. Asimo project leader
Stephen Keeney says Honda is committed to robot innovation plans to
eventually sell Asimo models for home or hospital use. Honda is also
considering developing a model that can assist in fighting fires. The product
of 20 years of research, the greatest technological accomplishment is the
robot's mastery of walking; as Keeney says, "Until we started studying it we
didn't know really how people walked." Other robots that have already become
popular items are unable to walk, but are designed for use around the home or
by the military; over 700 tactile robots are being used in Iraq and
Afghanistan to help soldiers avoid danger, and iRobot, the same company that
makes these military robots, has had much success with its Roomba
floor-cleaning robot. A Korean company has released a networked robot, known
as iRobi, which is marketed as a security guard, entertainment device, and a
friend to children. Its built in Wi-Fi capabilities can deliver news,
weather, recipes, and even let its owner call from a remote location to check
on their home. For Asimo to reach the point where it could be sold to
households, it must learn to react to a changing environment, and to be
"approachable," says Keeney. The robot, standing 130 cm tall, is meant to be
tall enough to do thing such as open doors or reach cabinets, but not so tall
as to intimidate children. Kenney believes that "Any robotic technology which
makes people more accepting of having robots in their home is great," but
first "We need Asimo to be smart enough to understand what we want it to do
and [then] go and do it."  

Read the entire article at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6250621.stm

Links:
iRobi - A New Guardian For Your Home
http://www.primidi.com/categories/sidebars/2004/02/22.html

Robots take over across the globe
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002131011_robots19.html

Asimo
http://asimo.honda.com/