Asimo, still licking its wounds after being outrun by Toyota, fired back earlier this month at Carnegie Mellon, where it learned how to navigate complex, moving obstacle courses. Seriously impressive stuff in this video—just wait until things start spinning!

Officially, this video shows that Carnegie Mellon researchers have given Asimo the ability to detect and avoid moving and stationary objects while in pursuit of a goal. Unofficially, researchers at Carnegie Mellon have fuelled the cliched “robot uprising” that we joke about from time to time.

The one positive in all this is that anyone not wearing a large blue dot in the near future will most likely be spared. [YouTube via Plastic Pals via BotJunkie via OhGizmo]

Shown here is Toyota’s running robot. At 7 km/h it’s not going to win any wind sprints in the Olympics, but nevertheless this thing is airborne for 100ms between strides as it skirts across the floor (i.e. genuine running).

For comparison’s sake, Honda’s Asimo robot can only manage a meager 6 km/h. We assume Toyota was able to squeeze the extra kilometer per hour out of their robot with a strict training regimen and what can only be described as a mild dose of physical abuse—their robot can re-balance itself when pushed lightly, as you can see in the video.

Just don’t get too pushy, young lady. Word on the street is these robot things are about ready to rise up and kill us all. [YouTube via Smart Machines]

Let’s say you’re meeting someone on a blind date. She promises to be wearing a yellow rose so you can spot her easily in the line at the Cinnabon. But what if she lied about being a 22-year-old Hawaiian Tropic bikini model who’s never suffered a single follicle of crotchal razor burn? Or worse yet, what if she learns that you aren’t really a robot?

(In case we didn’t mention in this scenario, you totally claimed to be a robot when you met online.)

The Asimo suit offers an inconspicuous means of scouting ahead. In the case that your female friend is one stubble away from her description, she’ll never see your face as you sneak behind the counter, peek around the warm glaze and realise she’s grotesquely only somewhat above average in looks.

In the case that she is the lady of your dreams, the suit will provide a few months of wiggle room before you fess up to misleading the poor young woman and offer to set her up with your refrigerator.

Buy yours now for about $US400. [Yahoo Shopping via Gamersweb via Botropolis]

Apparently, the people at Japan’s Honda Research Institute had the same idea, because they’ve now partnered with ATR and Shimadzu Corp. to come up with a way to use your brain as a robot remote control.

Called BMI (Brain Machine Interface – not the acronym that tells you you’re fat), the tech uses electroencephalography, which measures slight electrical currents, and near-infrared spectroscopy, which looks at brain blood flow. Putting the two together gives you up to 90% accurate robot control without the use of physical implants.

Unfortunately, you still have to strap yourself to this giant chair and ridiculous-looking cap that kind of makes you resemble Dark Helmet from Spaceballs. But one day, when your mobile minions appear suddenly in the horizon, wordlessly laying waste to your enemies with nary a peep from you… oh, how glorious a time it shall be. [Akihabara News]

Honda has designed the latest Asimo to be thinner, taller, and carry a smaller backpack than Asimo of yore. And he gets a neck that can tilt. The result is a robot (or in this case, robotic action figure) that looks considerably less like an astronaut and more like a human…even if he’s still no robot model.

The 6-inch action figure is available for about $US20 in Japan. Tempting, but I’ll stick with my anatomically modded Barbies for now. [Robot Watch via BotJunie]

There’s nothing terribly groundbreaking here, but this online exhibition is the next best thing to seeing him live at Disneyland. How does he balance? It’s there. How does he see? Got it. How heavy is his battery? Find out! Can he love? On this, Honda is silent (yes?). [Honda via BusinessWire via Crunchgear]

Yes, Honda made a nearly 50-foot-tall version of its not-so-nimble robotic friend, and it’ll be heading down the Rose Parade route on New Year’s Day. Also, it will be wearing a big top hat, which is a nice touch.

Honda will also provide the pace car for the parade with its hydrogen fuel cell powered FCX Clarity. There will also be music, dancing and flowers, but you probably knew that already.

Your listing for Current TV, since we didn’t think that we got the channel either:

DIRECTV 358
Comcast Nationwide 107
Dish Network 196
Time Warner Nationwide – check local listings
AT&T U-verse 189

Robot Nation host and journalist, Adam Yamaguchi, talked to eight different Japanese robot researchers/companies about the explosion of robots predicted in Japan over the next few decades—including Honda about their robot superstar Asimo, as we see in this clip.

“Honda’s probably the first company with the wide-enough reach to get [a Robot] inside every home, and they’re thinking 10 years,” Yamaguchi told us. “But smaller companies are bringing products to market now.”

We’ll be checking it out for sure.