ASIMO

Overview

Honda ASIMO was retired in 2022 after more than two decades of development, making it one of the most historically significant humanoid robots ever created. Standing 1.3 m and weighing 54 kg, ASIMO demonstrated running, stair-climbing, and tray-carrying decades before commercial competitors reached comparable capability. Honda discontinued ASIMO to focus resources on practical mobility and care robotics, including the UNI-ONE personal mobility device and Honda's e0 and e1 assistive robotic concepts. ASIMO's contributions to bipedal walking algorithms, zero moment point (ZMP) control, and stair navigation influenced the entire field. Honda's published research from the ASIMO programme remains cited extensively in academic literature on bipedal locomotion and balance control.

Key Specifications

• Height: 1.3 m
• Weight: 54 kg
• Speed: up to 9 km/h running
• Status: discontinued 2022
• Price: not applicable; no new units available

Use Cases

ASIMO was used exclusively for research and public demonstration purposes. Honda exhibited ASIMO at science museums and corporate events worldwide, including the Science Museum in London. Its contributions to bipedal locomotion research underpinned much of the academic literature that informed subsequent commercial humanoid development by companies such as Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, and Fourier Intelligence.

Buying Used

ASIMO units were never sold commercially. The handful of units in existence are retained by Honda or Honda-affiliated museums and are not available for purchase. Buyers seeking a research humanoid should look at current platforms rather than attempting to acquire ASIMO hardware. Collectors or museums interested in historical robotics exhibits should contact Honda's corporate heritage team directly, though the probability of securing a unit for permanent acquisition is extremely low.

Alternatives to Consider

• Unitree G1 ($16,000): the most accessible current bipedal research platform with strong community support
• Boston Dynamics Atlas 2024: the current benchmark for dynamic bipedal capability
• Hello Robot Stretch 3 ($17,000): practical research platform available today with a mature support ecosystem