Provided by Kyodo News
Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday that its P2 bipedal humanoid robot, which was unveiled to the public in 1996, has been honored by a U.S. electronics engineering industry organization as a "milestone" that pioneered natural human-like walking motion.
The predecessor of the ASIMO humanoid robot, the P2 was an autonomous robot capable of smooth bipedal walking even on uneven floors and when going up and down stairs. It helped spur humanoid robot development in Japan and abroad at a time when most robots used four legs or wheels to move.
The honor is bestowed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on technologies that have made significant contributions to societal and industrial advancement. Achievements at least 25 years old are considered.
Receiving an IEEE Milestone plaque at a ceremony held at Honda's office in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo, President and CEO Toshihiro Mibe said that the P2 "brought the world of science-fiction films into reality at once."
Toru Takenaka, who led the P2's development, said that he hopes to see younger engineers create robots that can be integrated into everyday life.
The technologies of the P2 were carried onto the development of ASIMO, which came out in 2000. Until being retired in 2022, ASIMO demonstrated the abilities to dance and kick a ball and became a symbol of Japan's robot technology.
Honda's P2 was the second recognition by the organization following the company's Electro Gyrocator, the world's first map-based automotive navigation system honored by the IEEE in 2017.