JR West announces it will introduce humanoid robots for railway equipment maintenance
On June 27, 2024, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) announced that it will introduce humanoid robots called ' multi-function railway heavy equipment ' for railway equipment maintenance from July 2024.
Use of multi-functional heavy machinery for railway equipment maintenance begins - Utilizing robotics technology to improve productivity and safety in heavy work at heights -
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Japan introduces enormous humanoid robot to maintain train lines | Japan | The Guardian
The multi-function railway heavy equipment is a track maintenance work machine based on the humanoid robot ' Zero Type Jinki ver.2.0 ' developed by Jinki Ittai Co., Ltd.
The humanoid robot mounted on a railway construction vehicle can be interactively controlled from the vehicle's cockpit using two grip arms and a head-mounted display.
The robot's hands are attachable and can be changed depending on the task being performed. At the time of writing, painting tools, grasping tools, and tree-cutting tools are available.
The robot can also lift heavy objects weighing up to 40 kg and perform tasks at heights of up to 12 m. You can see the robot in action in the video below.
JR West cited the following benefits for introducing multi-functional railway heavy machinery: 'The manpower required for work will be reduced by approximately 30%,' 'Mechanization of work will reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents such as falls and electric shock,' and 'It will be possible to create a work environment for diverse talent, regardless of gender or age.'
According to JR West, for the time being, the multi-function railway heavy equipment will be used for painting overhead line supports in the Keihanshin area and for cutting down trees that disrupt train operations, and they have stated that 'we plan to continue developing the tools and expand the range of work we can use,' and that 'we also plan to deploy multi-function railway heavy equipment for other infrastructure maintenance such as inspecting and painting inside road tunnels and replacing traffic signals.'
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