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Robot to Become First Non-Human to Open N.Y. Stock Exchange
Thursday, January 31, 2002
(17:52 AEDT)
The Australia Broadcasting Corporation

This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), AAP(International), APTN, Reuters, CNN and the BBC World Service



A walking robot developed by Japan's Honda motor company will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on February 14, becoming the first non-human to start the session.

Honda's Yuji Hatano says the humanoid robot named ASIMO, "will walk onto the podium and press a button to ring the bell."

It will be the 120-centimetre tall robot's first overseas trip, to mark the 25th anniversary of the automaker listing on the world's biggest stock exchange.

However, despite being fluent in both Japanese and English, ASIMO will not speak while in New York.
(ABC.net.AU News Source)
2002 © The Australia Broadcasting Corporation.

Dan