Honda's Asimo gets mind control interface

Robots are one step closer to taking over the world today with news that researchers have developed an interface for Honda's Asimo robot that allows individuals to control it simply by thinking. The system, developed by Honda and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, uses an MRI machine to measure a person's brain signals, which are then relayed to Asimo. In a demonstration, a person in the MRI machine made a fist, then made a V-sign, which Asimo imitated a few seconds later. The same system could potentially be used to control a keyboard or phone, researchers say, or even help people with spinal cord injuries move their limbs. From there, we assume, it's only a matter of time before the bots learn to reverse the process, initiating a mind control link over their would-be masters.

[Via Robot Gossip]

[Schmack @ May 24th 2006 1:23PM]

I for one welcome our ...


Ah screw it, viva la human resistance!

[Poopmaster @ May 24th 2006 1:31PM]

Wait a minute. The article referenced thinking, but the human actor in the test did something physical. So it's not just transmission of thought here, but thoughts associated with actions. Conceivably you have to be thinking about the action while you're doing it in order for the MRI reading to take place. And let's not forget the practicality of this. Are you really going to sit under an MRI machine all day just to get a robot to ape your actions?

[Sollen @ May 24th 2006 1:37PM]

Just look at those eyes. Pure evil.

[shirizaki @ May 24th 2006 1:41PM]

One more step towards sexbots.

[Peter @ May 24th 2006 1:45PM]

The Koreans must be all over this technology.

[ryan @ May 24th 2006 1:55PM]

Poopmaster, this is just the first step, no one intends to sell the technology as-is to consumers

[TC @ May 24th 2006 2:00PM]

Ahh yes, the fist and the V-sign. Asimo now has enough moves in his repetoir to mug someone 'Eastend London' style...

[banana @ May 24th 2006 2:08PM]

all he has to learn now is "paper"

[Nick @ May 24th 2006 2:08PM]

Does anyone else think it oddly ironic that the first motions a mentally-controlled robot would make are the signs for force and peace?

[Frank @ May 24th 2006 2:16PM]

Let's see it throw up the shocker!!

[Tush @ May 24th 2006 2:27PM]

Can we program it to say, "Come with me if you want to live"?

[Tush @ May 24th 2006 2:28PM]

of course in an overtly Austrian accent

[Sowdi @ May 24th 2006 2:41PM]

You guys do know how an MRI machine works right? Right?
And Post 9 I do think it's ironic.

Yeah let's become robots, I mean. I don't know what I mean.

[Brian @ May 24th 2006 2:55PM]

Has Honda been secretly taken over by Cybus Industries, or have I been watching too much Doctor Who lately?

[N @ May 24th 2006 2:59PM]

*hides behind laptop screen*

[oshean @ May 24th 2006 2:59PM]

At the end of the linked article it is written that ASIMO can't even make a V-sign.... how un-Japanese is that?!

[Anthony Marzola @ May 24th 2006 3:34PM]

Wow there's absolutely no sensationalism going on here...It's not ironic at all that the robot made a fist and a v-sign, after all it WAS imitating rock, paper and scissors game. And you guys think these are the robots that are going to take over the world? Pay more attention to politics where the real threat is. Robots are the future so get used to it.

[Mischa Lockton @ May 24th 2006 4:33PM]

Yeah- put that in the hybrid cars! I want to say: "I don't think I am going to have an accident, so I don't"

[Mischa Lockton @ May 24th 2006 4:34PM]

This has terminator written all over it. lol.

[MANTIS @ May 24th 2006 4:34PM]

Honda will be changing their name to Skynet in the next few years, and that's when we know it's time to start stockpiling weapons...

[BEAT RAG @ May 24th 2006 4:36PM]

Damn those Commi Nazi Robots!!!!

[Jon @ May 24th 2006 6:00PM]

honestly this cool but not that new, I saw on the discovery channel how a paraplegic man had a sensor implanted into his own brain and thus was hooked up to a computer, and played tetris on screen, no hands people lol. And then later he was hooked up to a robotic prosthetic hand and moved it like it was his own. Now THAT is truly amazing.

[bliss @ May 24th 2006 7:00PM]

#2 has a point... but yeah, I'm sure it's only a matter of time until its just purely thought-controlled. I wonder what wars would be like in the years to come.

[Bav @ May 24th 2006 7:26PM]

I'm a little more concerned about a freak electrical storm that zaps it while in use and traps my mind in a little asimo, kinda like chucky!

[Xendris @ May 24th 2006 8:10PM]

So.... a five-Tesla fMRI will come bundled with one of these, right? And all for under $1000, I trust.

Sounds to me like Honda was hard-up for a press release.

[delvach @ May 24th 2006 10:15PM]

An entire MRI machine? A large, noisy tube that'll rip your nipple rings off? If Christopher Walken could co-develop a headset-sized neural interface in the 80's, why can't anybody get it right?

[OyoyoY123 @ May 24th 2006 10:39PM]

they cheated they lied........

anyways we know that they are all #$%^&*&^s

but, #5 what do the koreans have anything to do with this?

u mean they are going to try and steal it ??????no?

[MooNKnighT @ May 25th 2006 6:25AM]

These are just the first steps, how long is it going to take before people start having Doc Oc styled 'accidents'?

[tekdemon @ May 26th 2006 1:08AM]

think about it...when they finally invent superfast mini MRI machines that can be implanted in your head, you can learn to multitask multiple ASIMOs if you're really good right?
So theoretically one day you could be having sex with your wife in bed, while seeing a video feed overlay of what your ASIMO is seeing-so you could have sex in bed while controlling ASIMO to cook dinner! And another ASIMO could be mowing the lawn, while another ASIMO was taking care of your kids and making sure that they didn't walk in on you and your wife.

GENIUS!

[Honda Nissan Toyota San Diego @ Aug 25th 2006 6:13PM]

I wouldn't expect Honda or any other car manufacturer to be the ones to inovate something like this but I guess someone has to.

Honda Toyota Nissan Guy