Humanoid Robots Have a Long Way to Go

Humanoid robots are back. Videos of robots folding laundry or brewing espresso have flooded social-media feeds, while investors have poured billions of dollars into development. But before we imagine robot assistants in every home, it’s worth remembering that we’ve been here before.

In 2000 Honda introduced Asimo, a humanoid robot that could walk, run and serve drinks. Robotics enthusiasts hailed it as the next logical step after the personal-computer revolution—a robot for every household. More than two decades later, Asimo sits in a museum, a reminder of how far robotics still has to go.