President Obama Plays Soccer With ASIMO the Robot

During his visit to Japan, at the Tokyo Miraikan Science Expo, President Barack Obama had a brief encounter with Honda's humanoid robot ASIMO, The Wall Street Journal reports.

ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, took a bow and then passed a soccer ball to the President, who said the robot's soccer skills were "pretty impressive".

Though he seemingly enjoyed a little chat (in English) with ASIMO, Obama later said the androids at the Expo were a bit "too lifelike" and "a little scary" for his taste.



Honda has been working on its humanoid robot for nearly 14 years now, and it improved in leaps and bounds since it was first introduced in October 2000. It can now walk up a flight to steps, pour a cup of juice (and serve it), run, recognize faces and talk.

Speaking to students, the President also remarked on the importance of science and math programs, both in Japan and the U.S. “Young people like you have more technology and more power than even the greatest innovators of previous generations, so there is no limit to what you can achieve,” he said.

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