(24 Jul 2000) Japanese/Nat
XFA
Summer vacation has begun in Japan and children in Tokyo are flocking to an exhibition displaying Japan's latest technological wonders.
Among the gizmos featured at the "Future Technology Fair" is a touch-sensitive robotic seal.
But the main attraction resembles something a lot more human - a humanoid robot.
Looking perhaps more at home in "Star Wars" or the android society of "Blade Runner", the Honda P3 once again displayed its startling agility, and stability, to the Japanese public.
Measuring 160 centimetres high, and 130 kilograms in weight, the human sized P3 can move with complete stability on a flat surface.
The robot's "eyes" are in fact cameras which allow the P3 to "sense" its location and positioning, and adjust its movement accordingly in order to keep its balance.
Getting the robot to learn to balance involved some of the most sophisticated technologies Honda could muster.
Nevertheless, one of the biggest achievements Honda has managed with P3 is the bipedal robot's ability to walk on angled sufaces as well as stairs.
After over a decade of research, the P3 has become Honda's pride and joy.
Honda engineers have been researching the possibility of creating of bipedal ( two-legged) robots since 1986.
The fruits of their labour have brought them ever closer to creating a very humanlike machine.
Though its movements are still slow compared to what a human can do, the P3's sense of balance is almost perfect, leaving these little humanoids struggling to compete.
But there's still a long way to go before the world is likely to see a robot capable of the same range of movements as humans.
Toru Takenaka, the Chief Engineer of the Honda Research and Development Company, says that day won't come for another 10 years.
SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)
"I wish to develop a robot which plays sport and studies together with human beings while serving for human beings."
SUPER CAPTION: Toru Takenaka, Chief Engineer, Honda R&D Co.
But the development of the robot has a practical reasoning.
Honda says the robot could one day substitute human labour where a high level of risk is involved.
But before the P3 can be considered a human substitute, it could perhaps do with a more human name.
Humanoid robots aren't the only mechanical wonders, Japan's future generations are excited about.
This baby seal is a robot with the ability to react to touch.
The combination of teddy bear fur, functioning sleepy eyes and its waggly tail easily won the heart of the children at the fair.
But, it is not merely a toy.
The seal, which weighs at 3.5 Kg and measures 60 centimetres in length, took four years of state-of-the-art mechanical engineering technology before engineers could bring it to work to this standard.
The Central Processing Unit, or computer's brain, inside the seal can recognize light and audio so that it can react to its environment accordingly.
Here though, the seal need only look happy given this boy's loving attention.
Makers of the robot hope this fluffy robot can physically interact with people just as normal household pets do.
SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)
" As in the animal therapy, It is said that there is a healing effect in the interaction between animal and human beings. I would like to realize that effect in this robot. By giving this attribute, we aim to develop a robot which can offer mental value such as healing and pleasure."
SUPER CAPTION: Takanori Shibata, Senior Research Scientist, Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, Ministry of International Trade and Industry
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