entertainment
Two decades of legendary public demonstrations
Real-world demoVerified March 2022
- Control mode
- Mixed / assisted
- Human intervention
- Choreographed shows with handler oversight
Research record R-008Discontinued
ASIMO
By Honda · Japan · announced October 2000
The robot that made humanoids real: two decades of Honda engineering that every machine on this site descends from.
Broader research scope
This is a research record, not a curated recommendation.
The main field guide selects 14 companion robots for deeper review. This entry belongs to a separate 53-record index that also covers industrial, research, and developer systems.
Research summary
What the record says.
ASIMO (Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility) was Honda's astronaut-suited humanoid, unveiled in 2000 after 14 years of secret bipedal research. It was the first robot to convince the public that walking machines were possible: climbing stairs, running (since 2004), pouring drinks, conducting orchestras and greeting presidents across two decades of appearances.
Honda ended development in 2018 and retired ASIMO's regular public shows in 2022. The program's legacy runs through the entire field: its balance control research seeded modern humanoid locomotion, and Honda revived the name in 2025 for ASIMO OS, the software platform of its 0 Series electric vehicles, announced at CES.
ASIMO was never for sale; a handful of high-profile leases (reportedly around $150,000 or more per month in the 2000s) put it at corporate events. It appears in this database as the origin point of the industry's timeline.
Delivery evidence
Announcement is not arrival.
Real-world demo
Decades of public demonstrations; museum appearances continue
Capability ledger
What has actually been shown?
2 material claims are separated by evidence setting and human involvement. The strongest recorded signal is Real-world demo; it does not automatically transfer to every row.
education
Inspired a generation of roboticists
Real-world demoVerified March 2022
- Control mode
- Mixed / assisted
- Human intervention
- Museum programs
Hardware record.
- Height
- 130 cm
- Weight
- 48 kg
- Locomotion
- Bipedal walking and running (9 km/h)
- Payload
- About 1 kg per hand (final generation)
- Runtime
- About 40-60 minutes
- Charging
- Battery swap by handlers
- Top speed
- 9 km/h running
- Degrees of freedom
- 57 (final generation)
- Hands
- Multi-finger hands capable of sign language and pouring
- Face / expression
- Visor helmet; no face by design
- Sensors
- Stereo cameras, force sensors, IMU
Software record.
- AI platform
- Honda proprietary control systems; pre-deep-learning era autonomy
- Voice
- Recognized commands; spoke scripted lines; sign language
- Languages
- Japanese, English
- Visual recognition
- Face and gesture recognition of its era
- Memory
- Programmed behaviors
- Processing
- Onboard
- Autonomous abilities
- Autonomous walking, navigation and routines; shows were choreographed
- Teleoperation
- Handler control common in appearances
- Software updates
- Program ended
- Developer access
- None
Who can see, hear, or take control?
- Recording storage
- Not applicable
- Remote operation possible
- Yes
- Teleoperation disclosure
- Handler presence visible at shows
- Camera / microphone controls
- Handler controlled
- Data deletion
- Not applicable
- Account required
- Not applicable
- Emergency stop
- Handler controlled
- Children and pets
- Supervised appearances only
- Security updates
- Not applicable
Lifecycle record
Status history.
- Research project
ASIMO unveiled
- Research project
First running humanoid
- Discontinued
Development ends
- Discontinued
Final regular public performances retired
- Discontinued
Name revived as ASIMO OS for Honda 0 Series EVs
Source register
2 linked sources.
These sources support the research record as a whole. Unlike the curated dossiers, this imported record does not yet map every claim to a stable source ID.