Honda revives robotics ambitions after ASIMO

Honda Motor Company has returned to robotics with a new focus on industrial applications, after retiring its popular ASIMO humanoid robot in 2022. The company has developed a robotic hand with highly dexterous movements, capable of performing a range of assembly tasks. This multi-fingered hand, slated for commercialization in the early 2030s, demonstrates fine motor control and strength, allowing it to grasp small objects and lift weights up to 5 kilograms.

Equipped with tactile sensors, the robotic hand manipulates components and orients them correctly before assembly. Honda plans to test the technology at its Yorii factory in Saitama Prefecture, with the goal of enabling a single robot to perform multiple tasks and help automate production lines affected by labor shortages. The drive system for the fingers, a significant advancement, bends like a willow while delivering force efficiently.

This new technology follows Honda's shift in robotics research from ASIMO, which focused on advanced walking and interaction capabilities but faced challenges in avoiding unexpected collisions. Honda's efforts in robotic finger development were largely out of public view, driven by a need for originality amid global competition and criticism over the program's perceived lack of progress.

The multi-fingered hand, unveiled at a Tokyo robotics exhibition, has already garnered business inquiries. Honda also plans to collaborate with RIKEN to accelerate the development of "Physical AI," a technology enabling robots to autonomously learn tasks.