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Honda�s Asimo kicked off the 2002 RoboCup games in Fukuoka, Japan — the Olympics for robots — with a demo of its fancy footwork. Two of these humanoids ran the field at less than 1 mph and booted a ball around. This might seem like peewee league stuff, but a peek inside Asimo shows that it embodies the latest in robotech.
BRAIN
Asimo�s brain is stored in its backpack. A Pentium-powered CPU crunches data from the bot�s multiple sensors and sends commands to servomotors in its joints to control movement.
EYES
Three CCD color video cameras (one on the waist tracks the ball, two on the head provide depth perception) and an image processor enable the robot to see objects. The next-gen Asimo will recognize faces and gestures.
BODY
At 4 feet tall and 100 pounds, Asimo is three times lighter than its predecessor, which helps it move more gracefully. Three gyroscopes and three accelerometers monitor the robot�s body orientation. Its magnesium-alloy frame boasts 15 joints (or 26 degrees of freedom), making Asimo one of the most agile robots around.
ANKLES
Force sensors in the ankles predict the robot�s center of gravity with each step.
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