There is just no limit to human intelligence and ingenuity. It is our constant aim to turn palpable science fiction into reality. One look at the new Mind-controlled Asimo Robot from Honda Motor Co. and you’ll surely agree with me.

Asimo by Honda Motor Co.

Asimo is the name given to Honda’s experimental humanoid robot that can distinguish objects, gestures, faces, environments and sounds. A camera embedded inside its head enables the robot to interact better with humans. Sound and movement sensors are also installed in its body.

Contrary to popular belief, the term Asimo is not a reference to Isaac Asimov, the famed writer of the Three Laws of Robotics. Instead, it is an acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility.

Three Laws of Robotics by Isaac Asimov

The original Asimo was made to obey voice commands and natural human movements. Further research, however, explored the possibility of instructing the robot by mere thought and without surgically embedding electrodes inside the brain.

Honda, along with Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) and Shimadzu Corporation, developed the BMI or Brain Machine Interface Technology. This system uses a sensor-laden head gear that measures brain activity and analyzes thought patterns thereby enabling the user to control Asimo. If you think that remote control and push button switches are convenient enough— think again.

NIRS (near-infrared spectroscopy) & EEG (electroencephalography)

The BMI Technology uses EEG (electroencephalography) to measure slight electrical impulses that occur in the scalp which occur when the user is thinking and NIRS (ear-infrared spectroscopy) to measure blood flow inside the brain. The complex data is then processed into a command that the robot can understand.

Brain Machine Interface Technology

With a 90% accuracy rate at this stage of the experiment, it won’t be long until Asimo will be perfected. I won’t be surprised if in the next five years, robot servants and assistants will already be available in the market—of course, to those who can afford it.

Click the following video to see a Mind-controlled Asimo Robot in action.

Mind-controlled Asimo Robot