ASIMO Tears Up the Dancefloor at His 10th Birthday Bash

Morning, all – or, afternoon, as it were. I trust your Halloween was both hollow and weeny? Mine sure was, but we won’t get into that. Instead, let’s hardcore gangsta rap about robots. Incidentally, yesterday was Asimo’s 10th birthday, and frankly, I don’t think the date could be more fitting – the little guy’s movements are so Uncanny Valley, it’s nothing short of spooky. You don’t agree? Let’s go to the tapes, then. To celebrate 10 years of creeptacular human motion emulation, Asimo’s team thrust the robot into the thick of a dance battle versus Japanese comedian Papaya Suzuki. Really, ‘battle’ is a bit of a stretch, and Suzuki’s less-than-stellar skill (by human standards) is still more than enough to burn a hole through the dancefloor that is Asimo’s theoretical dignity, but as always, Asimo’s too-human-to-be-comfortable movement is enough to wow me, anyway. Maybe I’m easily impressed; I also think tin foil is the coolest. Other festivities included a talk with Asimo’s creator, some demonstrations of the technology’s real-world applications, and a chance to meet and shake hands with the b-day bot himself. But those parts are boring, you don’t wanna see those. It’s all about dancing.