Japan introduces enormous humanoid robot to maintain train lines

WORLD  04 July 2024 - 23:03

A new 12-metre tall machine resembles a malevolent robot from 1980s sci-fi, featuring coke bottle eyes and a Wall-E-like head, along with large arms that can be equipped with blades or paint brushes.

Designed by West Japan Railway, this humanoid machine is intended for maintenance tasks such as painting and gardening on the company's network. Mounted on a truck that can operate on rails, it allows an operator in a cockpit to control its actions remotely, using cameras for vision, Caliber.Az reprints the article published by the foreign media.

With a vertical reach of 12 meters (40 feet), the robot can handle attachments up to 40 kg (88 lbs) and perform tasks like trimming tree branches along railway tracks and painting metal frames holding cables above trains. The technology aims to address labor shortages in aging Japan and reduce accidents such as falls or electric shocks among workers.

West Japan Railway's president, Kazuaki Hasegawa, highlighted that this innovation could pave the way for using machines in various infrastructure maintenance operations as a solution to labor shortages.

Caliber.Az