Honda Asimo takes a nasty fall
By Ryan Block 
posted December 11th 2006 2:12PM
posted December 11th 2006 2:12PM
[Via Pink Tentacle]
posted December 11th 2006 2:12PM
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Fine, I'll be the one to say it.
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Karma man, not just for humans. You see how he got all cocky and did the whole "Look Ma, no hands" by looking at the audience as he strolled up the stairs? Showboating got him what he deserved.
well it's supposed to have sensors somewhere between the legs, but it looked like it just froze up, nothing bad (unless you count freezing the movement program it bad), but still, what happened? how did it happen? does anyone know what ASIMO is saying when it took the fall (does anyone speak japanese)?
Oh man...why couldn't he fall over like that while he was conducting the Detroit Symphony? I woulda paid extra money for the front row seats to THAT show! ... unless he fell on me...then I'd sue Honda for the psychological damages caused from being crushed by a failure-of-a-humanoid-robot-conductor.
yeah I laughed because it makes a smug robot face when it turns to the audience and continues to walk up the stairs. Probably saying "look what I can do" - oops.
While Asimo is still far from being "humanoid", it CAN do a damn fine Gerald Ford impersonation.
One day, when we're being used as a fuel source by his descendants, we'll be the ones walking up stairs on stage for a robotic audience.
now they have fallen but one day , the machines will arise and judgment day will overcome upon us .
I dunno, Satan took one fall and never recovered. Ok so he doomed us all to die (see Paradise Lost). Dang. My argument falls apart. Oh, the irony.
I've fallen and can't get up!
Why can't they just make robots fly?
It takes a lot more energy to make something fly, than balance on solid ground.
It's more complex computationally as an algorithm, but when we get that algorithm right, it'll pay off multiple times, compared to a flying robot.
suv4x4: well done, Einstein! Really well fucking done! Want a cookie for that?
Uhm, UAV anyone? They're pretty much flying robots with all the automation packed in them, I don't know what else you'd call them.
"You can tell Awesom-O all your secrets..."
This would have never happened to Awesom-O. Lame.
Fine, I'll be the one to say it.
I, for one, welcome our ascension-incapable, smug overlords.
The reason it took so long to be said is because it's just not that funny anymore.
The moral of the story is when robots take over the earth, just go up a flight of stairs, and you will be safe.
It appears as though one of the motors (or hydraulics, whichever it may be) failed in the leg as the Asimo took the third step. If you watch the video, the leg appears to give right out from under the weight of the machine. Looks like nothing more than a part failure to me.
These things are still pretty impressive in my opinion.
You're right. At first I thought it missed a step, but it actually does look like one of the motors has failed.
Does it matter? I don't think people care why it happened, it's just funny to see a robot (or anything, for that matter) face plant.
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Asipwned!
Which one is the robot again? The white suited dude or the woman who never really deviates from her assigned task no matter what?
I am only wondering why they put up that blocking screen. I am beginning to think that there is a small japanese boy stuck in that retro-spaceman suit. Let the conspiracy theories begin.
it would have been much more entertaining to see the fembot accidentally strip herself of clothes
LMFAO!!!!!
I love the response of the robot paramedics - sliding out the security blind to shield the eyes of the ghastly sight that is a robotic horizontality.
What the f*ck is up with the Japanese and women dressed like schoolgirls? This was a Honda presentation, not softcore porn.
now you know what to do if robots are ever chasing you. go upstairs.
Didn't this also happen in a RoboCop movie where the evil Mech-Warrior like robot simply fell downstairs rendering him helpless?
Hmm, seems foreboding.
It said, "Help, I've fallen down, and I can't get up" in Japanese.
I agree with Jim D. It looked like the right leg malfunctioned.
but what do you think caused the failure?
To me, it looked like he was to far to one side of the steps to begin with. It could have been a moto fail I guess.
actually, that isnt possivle. the right knee gave away, so it couldnt have fallen off the stairway, becasue otherwise it would have fallen to the left, because the left leg was th one closest to the side. however, it fell to the right and backwards, indicating a simple faliure. in my professional opinion, the servo in his right knee failed at that precise moment. if you look closely, you can actually see him (it) start to wobble on his right knee on the first step, but then it seems to corect itself until... asimo takes a great big fall and all honda's workers and all honda's men, couldn't put asimo together again!
Looks like Johnny 5 is going back to the drawing boards.
That's hirarious!
Translation, anyone? I would like to know what the joke that she made was...
I would have forgiven the fact that it fell if it had the ability to stand itself back up, say "my bad...", and try again.
but that's the thing honda didn't think to put in ASIMO
just rub some dirt on it and walk it off!!!
someone who speaks japanese needs to translate what the robot is saying while its lying on the ground... im curious to know what was being said during this event...
Our robot overlords will not pity those humans who laughed at their grandfather. Then again, they won't pity anyone (they'll become self-aware before gaining the ability to feel mercy) so laugh away.
Footage of the first robotic cardiac arrest. They even ran to cover the robot after he died. How respectful.
AAAHHH! Faceplant...NO! Asimo! Oh the humanity! That was by far worse than smash my ps3. At least they had the sense to put up the shoji screen as they picked up the little pieces of salvagable dignity there was left. Poor Asimo.
I say there's a dwarf in the astrosuit and he was pissed.
Hiro would have helped if he wasn't stuck in NY.
get a robo-stretcher!
Oho I didn't know they fell like a two pound toy thats cheap-
They put up that screen because they didn't want no one to see the rest of the damage.
R.I.P poor little Friend
Once the Asimo starts going up the stairs it is the "Asimo" that is addressing the audience. It basically says that "I am now using my feet sensors to climb these stairs" once it falls it goes on to day "Though no problem for humans I use these sensors to balance myself as I climb the stairs.." then the female announcer comes in and basically says that due to a fall the show is unfortunately cancelled.