Housework Top Job For Robots

5 November 2004

Housework Top Job For Robots According To Honda Survey

More than two-thirds (69%) of New Zealanders said they would like a robot to do chores around the house, according to research commissioned by Honda.

The dream of a robot helper may be closer than many people realise with advances in robot technology.

Honda is bringing ASIMO, the world's most advanced humanoid robot, to Big Boys Toys from November 12-14, 2004 and conducted the research to investigate New Zealander's attitudes towards robots.

Respondents were keener for help at home rather than in the workplace and it seems people have a long list of jobs in mind for an extra pair of mechanical hands. Doing general housework came top on the list of jobs for robots, with doing the washing and mowing the lawns coming second and third. A robot gardener and chef would also be popular, with some people opting to have their robot weed the garden and others wanting to arrive home to home-cooked robot meal at the end of the day.

More light hearted suggestions for robots included replacing politicians and an all conquering robot All Blacks team. And spouses look out! Nearly 5% of survey respondents said they would replace their partners with a robot, with women slightly keener to make the switch, with 5.5%, as opposed to the men with, just 3.3%.

ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility and is a Honda innovation showcasing Honda's belief in the 'Power of Dreams'.

ASIMO has been developed over nearly two decades and is the result of extensive research by a team of Honda scientists and engineers. Designed to be the same height as the average sitting person and to be able to move with ease in a normal human environment, ASIMO is 120cm (four feet) tall and weighs just over 52 kilograms.

"ASIMO is unbelievable to watch - you really have to see it to appreciate the technical marvel which Honda has created. We hope that in the future ASIMO will have positive and practical benefits for the real world, such as assisting the elderly or carrying out jobs which are dangerous to humans," said Graeme Seymour, Managing Director at Honda New Zealand.

Part of Honda's commitment to pushing mobility technology forward, ASIMO has special Intelligent Real-Time Flexible Walking, or i-WALK technology, that enables it to walk smoothly and gracefully. Able to interact with people and objects and perform human acts such as walking up and down stairs independently.

ASIMO can be seen at the Big Boys Toys lifestyle exhibition at the Auckland Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland November 12th - 14th. ASIMO will be performing five times a day.

ENDS

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