30 Years Ago, Robots Learned to Walk Without Falling
Summary
The IEEE Spectrum piece chronicles Honda's Prototype 2 (P2) as the first autonomous bipedal robot capable of stable dynamic walking, tracing its 1986–1996 development cycle from early E0 to P2 and later ASIMO, and its recognition as an IEEE Milestone. It highlights the hardware, control algorithms, and real-time sensing that enabled balance and stair-climbing, and discusses P2's lasting influence on humanoid robotics and AI research.