Robot guide not quite up to the task at Tokyo science museum

A robot built by Honda had problems with gesture recognition on its first day as a museum guide at a science museum in Tokyo, officials said. The robot, dubbed Asimo, was unable to distinguish between people raising their hand to ask the robot a question from those just trying to get a picture with their smartphones, The Japan Daily Press reported Friday. Asimo will be "working" as a tour guide at the Miraikan museum for the next four weeks as a trial. Asimo cannot respond to voice commands or questions -- instead it is designed to answer any of 100 questions selected by visitors from a touchscreen after they've raised a hand. During a demonstration when people pointed their cameras at Asimo, it froze and repeatedly asked: "Who wants to ask Asimo a question?" Honda technology specialist Satoshi Shigemi acknowledged there is still a long way to go before Asimo becomes a truly interactive tour guide. "Right now, it can recognize a child waving to it, but it's not able to comprehend the meaning of the waving," Shigemi said.