Though it seems like a villainous robot from science fiction from the 1980s, West Japan Railway’s latest humanoid employee was created with nothing more nefarious in mind than a little painting and gardening.
This month, the truck-mounted device with a rudimentary head and coke-bottle eyes that can go on railroads will be used for network maintenance for the company.
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Operating its powerful arms and hands remotely, the operator sits in a cockpit atop the truck, “seeing” via the robot’s eyes via cameras.
With a vertical reach of 12 meters (40 feet), the machine can handle a paintbrush, operate a chainsaw, and move things weighing up to 40 kilograms (88 pounds) using different arm attachments.
According to the corporation, the robot’s main duties for the time being will be painting the metal frames that support the wires above trains and pruning tree branches that fall over lines.
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According to the corporation, the technology will lessen mishaps like employees falling from high locations or getting electric shocks, as well as aid Japan’s ageing workforce deficit.
Company president Kazuaki Hasegawa stated at a recent press conference, “In the future, we hope to use machines for all kinds of maintenance operations of our infrastructure,” and this should serve as a case study for how to address the labour crisis.
It is anticipated that the adoption of such cutting-edge technology in Japan’s railway network will have repercussions for the international travel sector. Reduced downtime for travellers and increased service dependability can result from more effective and safe infrastructure maintenance. Thus, the whole travel experience is improved, becoming more convenient and pleasurable.
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