Perhaps most of us have seen some people on television able to move things through telekinetic power. This ability makes use of the mind to control things around you. I admit, even I was encouraged to try my good fortune or undiscovered ability, if I really have it. But then, I failed. When Honda showed the special technology called the Asimo humanoid robot, my reverie to use my mind power became alive again.
The Asimo was able to produce 90% precision results as stated by Honda, though the humanoid robot did not manage to demonstrate the mind-control scheme on live spectators. The scientists claimed this was because of several factors including possible distractions for the user like light flares and viewers’ facial reactions.
But to have an idea how the Asimo can be controlled by the human mind, let me give you an overview. The real human uses a helmet that contains jam-packed electroencephalography as well as near-infrared spectroscopy sensors. These are in charge of the brain’s thinking process as they screen the changes in the intellectual blood flow and electrical brainwaves. Phew, quite a mouthful. When the user thinks of a certain gesture, this will be examined live then identifies the action thought by the robot user. The idea is then passed on to the robot, making Asimo perform the certain motion. Quite an ordeal to undergo to be able to perform the groundbreaking, astounding, amazing, superfluous feat of…raising its right limb.
To date, Honda Asimo is only able to do this one action. Simple for us humans but really impressive for mind-controlled robot! One small step for Asimo, one giant leap for robotkind.
