Humanoid robot deployment in Japanese railways

Japan Introduces Humanoid Robot for Railway Maintenance Operations

While its design might evoke a robot from 1980s science fiction, West Japan Railway's new humanoid employee was developed with harmless duties in mind, such as painting and gardening.

Beginning this month, the machine, featuring a rudimentary head and large, round eyes, mounted on a truck capable of driving on rails, will be utilized for maintenance work across the company's network.

The operator sits in a cockpit on the truck, viewing through the robot's cameras and remotely controlling its powerful limbs and hands.

With a vertical reach of 12 meters (40 feet), the machine can utilize various arm attachments to lift objects up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds), paint with a brush, or operate a chainsaw.

According to the company, the robot's initial duties will primarily involve trimming tree branches along the rails and painting metal frames that support cables above the trains.

The company asserts that this technology will mitigate worker shortages in aging Japan and decrease accidents like falls from high places and electric shocks.

"Our vision for the future involves the utilization of machines across all facets of infrastructure maintenance," company president Kazuaki Hasegawa emphasized during a recent press briefing, highlighting this initiative as a strategic response to labor scarcity.

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