From robot to operating system: do you remember? Asimo, the little humanoid from Honda that amazed the entire world in 2000? That project, apparently shelved, is about to return in a completely new form. Honda Asimo OS inherits decades of research on human-machine interaction to manage future electric cars of the 0 Series. It is a story of technological evolution that demonstrates how great innovations never really die.
The Origins of Honda Asimo OS
It all started in the 80s, when Honda took his first steps in the world of robotics. He wasn't exactly the HAL 9000 of 2001: Odissea nello spazio. Think of a metal box with two legs, more like a walking household appliance than a robot of the future. But it was just the beginning of an extraordinary journey that would lead to the creation of Asimo, the most advanced humanoid robot (of its time, I mean).
The evolution has been constant and determined. Year after year, that assembly of circuits and metal acquired increasingly human forms, until in 2000 it transformed into something truly special: a robot as tall as a child, dressed in a sort of white space suit and capable of walking, running and interacting with people.
The true magic of Asimo was not so much in his physical abilities, but in his ability to interact with human beings in a way that then seemed truly natural and intuitive. It is precisely this experience that Honda he decided not to waste it, transforming it into something completely new.
An operating system for the future
The new Honda Asimo OS is a necessary step in the way we interact with our cars. It's no longer a matter of pressing buttons or turning knobs: the system is designed to create a completely new driving experience, based on decades of research into human-machine interaction. The real strength of Asimo OS lies in its ability to evolve over time. Thanks to over-the-air updates, cars in the Serie 0 they will be able to constantly improve, acquiring new features and solving any problems with a simple download. A bit like having a smartphone on four wheels, but much more sophisticated.
This approach follows the path traced by Tesla, but with one fundamental difference: the experience of Honda in humanoid robotics brings a unique understanding of how people interact with machines.
The future of charging
The vision of Honda It doesn't stop at the software. During the CES 2025 of Las Vegas, the company also presented an ambitious charging infrastructure project, developed in collaboration with IONNA. The goal? To create 30.000 stations charging stations by 2030, all compatible with the NACS standard. But the real innovation lies in the system Honda Smart Charge, developed together with Emporia Corp. e ChargeScape. This intelligent system does more than just charge your car: it optimizes charging times based on energy costs and can even feed energy back into the grid when needed.
An electronic butler that takes care of managing the car's energy in the most efficient way possible. And all this will be managed by the central brain: Honda Asimo OS.
Honda Asimo, the legacy of a pioneer
The transformation of Asimo from physical robot to operating system is more than a simple change of form. It is the demonstration of how technological innovation is a continuous process, where nothing is wasted and every experience contributes to the next step forward. The first cars of the Serie 0 will enter production in 2026, bringing with them not only a new way of driving, but also the legacy of decades of research in robotics and human-machine interaction.
What once walked on two legs will now travel on four wheels, continuing to amaze us with its ability to make technology increasingly human and accessible. Have a good (new) trip, Asimo.
