In Japan, it is clear that robots can be used in many ways, including for the maintenance of railway tracks. This is the case of a humanoid robot measuring more than 12 meters.
This new project is being carried out by the railway company West Japan Railways and will be responsible for maintaining the train lines and carrying out a series of other critical tasks, according to a report in the newspaper El Español Omícrono.
The robot is not entirely autonomous, however. It works by having a person sit inside a truck and operate the machine’s giant arms and hands using joysticks.
The humanoid robot is also operated with virtual reality glasses that allow it to see the movement of people around it and detect objects. It has cameras that act as eyes.
The companies Jinki Ittai Co, a robotics technology developer, and Nippon Signal Co, a computer and electrical company, participated in this project.
This is intended to reduce the risk of workplace accidents such as electric shocks or falls of workers.