Honda’s P2 was the humanoid robot prototype unveiled in 1996 that could walk on two legs.
Honda presented P2 on 20 December 1996 as a major step in its long-running humanoid robotics research. The electrically powered prototype had a human-like torso, arms, legs, and onboard computers. It could walk without being connected to an external computer by cables, a significant improvement over earlier experimental machines.
P2 followed Honda’s earlier E-series research robots. The company subsequently developed P3 in 1997 and introduced ASIMO in 2000. These projects aimed to improve balance, walking control, stair climbing, and interaction with people.
P2 is sometimes mistaken for ASIMO because both came from Honda’s humanoid program. However, P2 was a large research prototype, while ASIMO was the smaller, more recognizable later robot. P2 also was not the first humanoid machine ever to walk; it was Honda’s important milestone in developing practical bipedal mobility.