Honda's humanoid robot Asimo is so amazingly graceful for a machine that it's hard to believe there isn't a man inside that walking spacesuit.
In the 1980s, engineers at the automaker began with a pair of mechanical legs and a dream of creating a robot that could be a "partner for people" — they were told to make comic hero Astro Boy.
Unveiled in 2000, Asimo represents an engineering triumph for its mastery of human locomotion. Honda's 'bot can walk, jog and climb or descend stairs just like a person, and it can also do a pretty mean calisthenics routine. In the Asimo Theater at the Great Robot Exhibition, Asimo is presented in a stage show that envisions him as a member of the family, showing off skills such as kicking a soccer ball and fetching a tray of drinks in response to simulated e-mails from the parents and children.