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Honda’s robot guide not a people person at science museum

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3 years ago

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Honda Motor Co.’s interactive robot Asimo gestures while talking with visitors at a demonstration event at the Miraikan science museum, in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. The walking, talking interactive robot ran into glitches in its new job as a museum guide in Tokyo. During Wednesday's demonstration, the bubble-headed Asimo machine had problems telling the difference between people raising their hands to ask questions and those aiming their smartphones to take photos at the Miraikan science museum. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Honda Motor Co.’s interactive robot Asimo gestures while talking with visitors at a demonstration event at the Miraikan science museum, in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. The walking, talking interactive robot ran into glitches in its new job as a museum guide in Tokyo. During Wednesday's demonstration, the bubble-headed Asimo machine had problems telling the difference between people raising their hands to ask questions and those aiming their smartphones to take photos at the Miraikan science museum. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Honda Motor Co.’s interactive robot Asimo gestures while talking with visitors at a demonstration event at the Miraikan science museum, in Tokyo, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. The walking, talking interactive robot ran into glitches in its new job as a museum guide in Tokyo. During Wednesday’s demonstration, the bubble-headed Asimo machine had problems telling the difference between people raising their hands to ask questions and those aiming their smartphones to take photos at the Miraikan science museum. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Honda’s interactive robot not quite so interactive at science museum

 

It seemed like a good at the time but maybe it’s a good idea for just a little bit down the road. The Honda Motor Company’s full-size talking, walking robot designed to provide an interactive viewing experience at the Miraikan science museum in Tokyo, has a few glitches.The Asimo robot with a bubble head and space suit body hasn’t been quite as interactive as hoped so far. It has trouble distinguishing between people holding up smartphone for picture-taking purposes and those holding up hands to ask a question. It sometimes freezes as well, repeating “Who wants to ask Asimo a question?” endlessly.The voice recognition features also need a bit of work. As yet, the robot must take written questions only off a touch screen device, kind of a conversational dead end if you ask museum visitors.

However, developers keep working with the robot on designs to make it usable for selling tickets at train stations, for example. And the robot can boot a soccer ball, run and hop on one leg as well as pour a drink from a thermos it opened. So, the future may yet be bright for the computerized, mechanized tour guide of the present.

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