While in Odaiba, I stopped by the Miraikan Science Centre. Set in a futuristic glass construction, the centre is made up of exhibits to educate and entertain. The focus is on interaction and learning by doing.
I enjoyed the experiments that showed how your brain plays tricks on you. I had fun trying out the touch sensitive panels that allowed you to draw animated graphics on a table with a computer pen. But I LOVED getting to see Asimo.
Asimo is Honda’s latest robot. He is designed to be an interpreter and home-life assistant. He’s like C3PO with a backpack. In the video above, he’s welcoming us to the Miraikan Centre and apologising for having kept us waiting.
The most interesting thing I noticed was how we humans quickly get used to interacting normally with a robot: When Asimo first came out he bowed to us all. Not a sinner in the crowd bowed back. But after the 15-minute presentation where we kind of got to know him, he said goodbye and bowed again. This time everyone, unbeknownst to themselves, bowed right back. It was like he’d passed the personality test. The damn robot is already better in social situations than I am. Interacting with him was a very weird experience.
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