As the largest railway company in western Japan, it is crucial for West Japan Railway Company to keep the tracks in good condition. That is why JR West, as the company is also known, hired a new maintenance worker this month… a new robot maintenance worker.
The unit was jointly developed by JR West, Nippon Signal and Shiga Prefecture-based robotics company Jinki Ittai (also known as Man-Machine Synergy Effectors Inc). Called the Multi-Functional Railroad Heavy Equipment, it is an adaptation of an earlier design that only operated on rails to a more flexible truck-based system.
The robotโs torso is attached to a crane-like appendage that can be extended to perform tasks at heights of up to 12 meters above the ground. The arms can hold and move equipment weighing up to 40 kilograms.
โผ The fabric upholstery gives the robot a look reminiscent of the mecha designs from the 80s/90s anime “Patlabor”.
JR West says it hopes to achieve three goals with the introduction of the robots: increased productivity, reduced risk to workers, and a more flexible workforce. Operating the robot requires far less physical strength than doing the work by hand, allowing older or less athletic workers to handle maintenance projects.
โผ The robot’s control cabin
The specialized hand controller allows the operator to control the amount of force applied to the robot’s grip. Additionally, the head-mounted camera array supports the use of ‘VR glasses’ that allow the user to see things from the robot’s perspective, as seen in the demonstration video below.
Since this month, JR West has been using the robot to clear trees and other vegetation that block tracks and to paint above-ground equipment. The company plans to expand the robotโs role as it develops new handheld tools.
Source: PR Times via Robo Start via Otakomu
Images: PR Times
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