September 22, 1997

Honda shows off its jet engines and robots

By YURI KAGEYAMA
Associated Press Writer

TAKANEZAWA, Japan (AP) -- In a decade or so, the Honda name may be popping up in some unlikely places.

It may be in the skies on a zooming jet plane or on the arm of a walking robot that cares for the bedridden -- far removed from the everyday, earthbound Accords and Civics that have made Honda Motor Co. famous.

Honda's forays into research unrelated to cars and motorcycles are easy to dismiss as gimmicky image-boosters for an automaker that has thrived on its reputation as a risk-taker. Even if they are toys, they seem to be working as morale-boosters for its engineers, who unabashedly talked to reporters about their "dream" at a demonstration of Honda's latest research earlier this week.

But Honda said it is serious about making money with both jet engines and robots, even though the jets aren't quite ready to fly and the robot is a little unsure on its feet.

After about a dozen years of research, Honda has made one engine, the HFX-01. Another more powerful, fuel-efficient prototype engine that is still unfinished is called the HFX20.

"They are our dream. We've always wanted to fly the skies with something we made," said engineer Yoshiharu Yamamoto, pointing to the two engines on display at Honda's research center in Takanezawa, 60 miles north of Tokyo.

Honda's robots are even more futuristic. Far from the mechanical arms that piece together cars on assembly lines, the P-3, short for third prototype, has an awkward but disarming, human appearance -- almost like C-3PO in "Star Wars."

It may make more sense for an automaker to have come up with a robot that rolls across the floor on wheels. But P-3, completed last month, walks on two legs like a person -- a still relatively rare feat in robot technology.

Research unrelated to a company's main product is fairly common in Japan, where university research lags way behind that of the United States and often fanciful ideas are tried out at corporations.

Toyota Motor Corp. has been working on a propeller-type airplane engine. Sony Corp. has developed a truck that dissolves the foam packaging for their main electronic products with limonene, which is found in lemon peel. Shiseido Co., the cosmetics firm, makes nonallergenic rice.

Honda officials said all of its new robot's skills could not be disclosed yet because of pending patents. But the 5-foot-4, 290-pound robot can walk up and down steps as high as 16 inches.

During this week's demonstration, P-3 waddled out on a stage, paused, then shuffled slowly to turn around. The robot can't swivel because it doesn't have ankles.

"This is a very impressive system," said Georgia Institute of Technology professor Ron Arkin. "It has achieved great visibility among scientists."

Honda officials say the P-3 could make the rounds of patients at a hospital, venture into a landslide or nuclear power plant, or work as a security guard in the future.

For now, the P-3, which has digital-camera eyes and two arms with fingerless hands, can only do simple tasks, like turn on switches or shut off valves. And its batteries go dead after 15 minutes.

Honda even has a plane to go with its jet engines. It has worked with Mississippi State University to make a prototype plane that fits six people. Called the MH02, it has yet to fly with Honda's own jet engines.

Automakers have experimented in the past with adapting jet engines for cars, but Honda says that's not what it has in mind.

Hiroyuki Yoshino, executive vice president in charge of research, acknowledged that Honda had not yet come up with a small jet engine that can beat the competition in fuel economy and quality.

Having set the standard in motorcycles and small cars, Honda wants to set a new standard in small jet engines, he said. With airlines increasingly replacing turboprop airplanes with small jets, there might be room for a new engine maker to compete with General Electric, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney.