Japanese Robot Controlled by Human

Brain Signals
by zygbot on Mar. 31, 2009

The Japanese continue to ’shock and awe’ with their amazingly innovative and creative
applications in the world of robotics. On Tuesday Honda’s Research Institute and the
precision-equipment manufacturer Shimadzu announced a new technology that will enable a
human to steer a robot merely by thought. This represents the start of a major paradigm shift
in the field of robotics, as the days of controlling them by remote or wireless links may soon
be over. The system is comprised of a BMI (Brain Machine Interface, or BCI, Brain
Computer Interface) that involves a sensor-net helmet that detects electrical signals (EEG, or
electroencephalography) on the scalp; and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) sensors that
detect changes in cerebral blood flow; both measures alter slightly during the human thought
process. The BMI device is designed for compatibility with Honda’s star robot, ASIMO,
billed as the world’s most advanced humanoid robot, which has gained significant global
notoriety since its release almost a decade ago.

The correspondence between the BMI device and ASIMO is impressive. In a demonstration
video shown Tuesday at Honda’s Tokyo headquarters, one sees a human subject fitted with
the black BMI helmet and then shown a card with a picture of a right hand on it. After the
user makes the correlation between the picture and his own right hand, a large computer
analyzes the brain signals on a real-time basis and compares them to previous known
samples. Once the computer makes a determination of what the user imagined, it then
transmits the signal wirelessly to ASIMO, which acknowledges the request and raises its own
right robotic limb. Asimo responds by saying (in Japanese), “Yes. I received the result. I
think this is correct. It is ‘Right Hand’.” And then Asimo begins its choreographed move to
mimic the signal by raising the right hand. The state-of-the-art technology enables the
humanoid to perform a series of movments, such as raising and lowering its arms, walking,
and eating, all based on the non-verbal instructions a person sends to it by concentrating on
performing the action themselves.

Brain Machine Interface Video | ASIMO

According to an AP report, Honda acknowledges that this BMI-humanoid technology is not

yet ready for a live demonstration because of possible distractions that cameras and an
audience could cause in the human controller’s thought processes. Another problem is that
brain patterns differ greatly among individuals, and so at this point about two to three hours
of pre-test analysis is necessary in order for the BMI technology to work. One of the
scientists involved, Tatsuya Okabe of the Honda Research Institute Japan, pointed out that
“the accuracy of a movement depends on the test person and whether that person is good at
concentrating.” But in test cases so far ASIMO has performed extremely well, with BMI
motions performed correctly in 90.6 percent of cases –a record in the field of BMI
technology.
The research aims of this technological breakthrough are very practical. Imagine being able
to think about an action and having a wirelessly controlled robot transmit that thought into
action, for instance with house-keeping chores such as serving dishes or watering plants. The
research could have special significance for those who are disabled or unable to perform
strenuous tasks in the home. “What we are doing is still basic research, but we are working
on the dream of commercialising it,” said Yasuhisa Arai, president of the Honda Research
Institute. “But there is still a very long way to go before commercialisation.”

Japan’s successful interface between BMI technology and a humanoid displays again the
country’s absolute dominance in the field of advanced robotics, and serves as a powerful
“signal” of its own commitment to helping create a more tolerable, humane world. The
United States, on the other hand, has ignored large-scale humanoid robots, except as fodder
for sci-fi films which usually portray them in some kind of gloomy, post-apocalyptic role.
Suffice it to say, the technological creations of a country are often a good depiction of its
national character. The sociological study of robotics is in the early stages and so it’s perhaps
too early to extract cross-cultural views about perceived differences between a mind-reading
humanoid that can clean the house and take out the trash, and a robotic drone that looks for
terrorist bombs. But for Japan, this much seems certain—a BMI-controlled ASIMO offers a
new cosmopolitan spotlight on itself: how to turn “thoughts” for a better and brighter future
into positive, realistic actions.