Honda recently announced a series of new non-automotive projects, including some that parallel Tesla and SpaceX.
In a press release, the automaker unveiled plans for a “robot avatar” that can be remotely operated by humans, as well as a small reusable rocket. However, the company is operating on a very different timeline compared to Elon Musk’s ventures.
The robot will be equipped with a human-like hand capable of grasping objects smoothly and manipulating tools with precision, according to Honda. The automaker envisions such robots being used for lunar exploration, potentially in lunar bases powered by its fuel cell technology.
Tesla is working on its humanoid robot and said it would be ready in prototype form next year. Honda, meanwhile, is aiming for “practical use in the 2030s,” with an initial demonstration before the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.
Honda also has much more experience in robot development than Tesla. The company’s Uni-Cub and ASIMO have so far focused on assisting people with mobility.
The new robot builds on this by “allowing the user to perform tasks and experience things without being there in person, including the realistic sensation of manipulating objects remotely,” according to Honda.
Having made the leap from land vehicles to aircraft with its HondaJet, the company also plans to go even further with a rocket, aiming to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit.
Like the rockets built by SpaceX, the Honda rocket will be reusable, with “at least some rocket components” capable of landing back on Earth after launch. To achieve this, Honda plans to use “control and guidance technologies” developed for autonomous cars.
Meanwhile, Musk has hinted at a connection with SpaceX where the upcoming Roadster could get rocket technology. That product has now been delayed until 2023.
Musk is known for being very optimistic about Tesla’s technology timeline, with a fleet of robo-taxis now delayed.
