The development of Honda Ashimo was canceled; research and development team was also dismissed

Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following:

ホンダ アシモの開発をとりやめ 研究開発チームも解散

2018年6月28日 17時35分

大手自動車メーカーのホンダは、開発を続けていた２足歩行の人型ロボット「アシモ」の開発をとりやめていたことがわかりました。今後は介護支援などより実用的なロボット技術の開発に力を入れる方針です。

アシモはホンダが開発した人型ロボットで、平成12年に発表された１号機は当時は高い技術が求められていた本格的な２足歩行をするとして注目されました。

その後、平成23年まで７代にわたって改良型が発表されましたが、関係者によりますと、ホンダは開発をすでにとりやめていて、研究開発のチームも解散したということです。

２足歩行の人型ロボットをめぐっては、ソフトバンクグループが買収したアメリカの「ボストン・ダイナミクス」が高い運動性能を持つロボットを発表するなど参入が相次ぎ、競争が激しくなっています。

ホンダとしては、より実用的なロボット技術の開発に力を入れる方針で、今後は、アシモの開発で培った高度なバランス性能や、運動を制御する技術を応用し、転倒を防止する機能をもつバイクや、介護を支援する装着型のロボットの開発を進めていくとしています。

Translation

It was found out that Honda the major automobile company that had been developing the "Ashimo", a humanoid robot that could walk with two legs, had canceled the latter’s further development. From now on the policy would focus on nursing support which put emphasis on the development of more practical robotics.

Ashimo was the humanoid robot developed by Honda, its real walking with two legs then was supposed to demand advanced technology, and the release of its number one machine had drawn attention in 2000.

After that, 7 generations of improvement type were announced up to 2011, but according to people connected to Honda its development was already canceled, and it was said that the research and development team was also dismissed.

Concerning humanoid robots that walked with two legs, the American "Boston dynamics" that was bought by Softbank group had announced robots with high movement performance etc. and had made successive market entries; the competition became tense.

For Honda, from now on it would adopt the policy of putting emphasis on the development of more practical robotics. Using the high balance performance together with the technology on movement controls acquired during the development of Ashimo, Honda was advancing the development of motorcycles that had fall prevention function, in addition to attachment type robots that could be used in nursing support.

     I was amazed at the performance of Ashimo when it was released in 2000.