March 31, 2026
ASIMO walked, fans balked
30 Years Ago, Robots Learned to Walk Without Falling
Honda’s first walking bot gets a gold plaque—fans ask why ASIMO was shelved
TLDR: Honda’s 1996 P2 robot that walked without falling just earned an IEEE Milestone, and the crowd cheered—then asked what Honda actually did with it. Commenters split between celebrating the breakthrough and blasting Honda for shelving ASIMO, with nerds debating if it was “real walking” and jokers crowning Roombas the true home robots.
The internet is celebrating Honda’s 1996 breakthrough—its P2 humanoid robot that could stroll without face-planting—getting an IEEE “Milestone” honor. But the party vibes quickly turn to “okay, but where did all this go?” One nostalgic fan drops a 12-year-old flex video link, while another fires the real zinger: Honda let the dream die. ASIMO, the cute white robot that stole our hearts, got upgrades… then retirement. Cue the collective side-eye.
The nerdiest fight? Whether these robots really “walked.” One commenter argues they weren’t stepping like humans do (which is basically controlled falling), but instead shuffled with their weight carefully kept over their feet—think cautious airport dad. Translation: impressive, but not the smooth sci‑fi stride of your dreams.
Meanwhile, the meme squad shows up: Doraemon for friendship, Gundam for battle, Roomba for the chores, and next-gen bots that might skip legs entirely for emotional support. Another user wonders if arms and legs even matter when your vacuum already wins the housework war. Ouch.
So yes, Honda’s P2 deserves the plaque and the applause—it paved the way for home helpers navigating stairs, doors, and mess. But the comments read like a reunion where everyone asks the same question: where’s the sequel? And why does this feel more like a museum piece than a movement?
Key Points
- •IEEE designated Honda’s 1996 Prototype 2 (P2) as a Milestone for being the first autonomous robot to walk without falling.
- •The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 28 April at Honda Collection Hall, Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, where P2 is on display.
- •Honda began the humanoid project in 1986 to build a domestic robot capable of tasks like stair climbing and manipulating tools.
- •Earlier benchmark WABOT-1 (1973, Waseda University) had sensing and speech but lacked balance and obstacle navigation, relying on external power.
- •Honda’s engineering included reduced joint counts versus humans, DC motors with harmonic-drive gears, and early E0 tests showing slow, static straight-line walking.