Honda Asimo robot runs round in circles at CES 2007

If you pull on Asimo's hand, it moves towards you. If you push, it steps backward. It is constantly making adjustments to stay upright -- because if it falls, it can't get up again on its own.

Honda's goal is to make a robot that can assist people with limited mobility, around the home or in a hospital. Asimo's height of 1.3m (4 feet 3 inches) means it can look directly at a person who is in a wheelchair or sitting in bed. The current model weighs 54Kg and can run for about an hour on a full charge of its lithium ion battery, which lives in the backpack.