Japanese railway company to use a giant humanoid robot for fixing power lines
%2Favatars%2FUy0OTzksC7lW.jpg&w=96&q=75)
%2Fimg%2Fiea%2FNe6N5ppqG5%2Fgiant-robot.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The West Japan Rail Company, also known as JR West, has unveiled its giant worker robot that can be tasked to carry out jobs that are considered risky for humans, New Atlas reported.
【News Release】
— JR西日本ニュース【公式】 (@news_jrwest) April 15, 2022
生産性・安全性向上に向けて、株式会社人機一体および日本信号株式会社と共同で、人型重機ロボットと鉄道工事用車両を融合させた多機能鉄道重機を開発しています。
詳しくはこちらをご覧ください。https://t.co/R8X32nmuJU pic.twitter.com/FBVjIe1xCC
While we have diligently covered different types of robots being built for our future, including humanoid ones with extremely realistic expressions, a giant humanoid robot is something we haven't seen before.
How does it work?
The robot has a human-like torso and a pair of hands to carry out a range of tasks, such as cleaning the power lines with a specially-designed multi-angle brush. However, it is not just a cleaning robot but also one that can carry out maintenance tasks using its clamp-like hands that are compatible with a host of other tools.
Perched on top of the torso is a pair of digital cameras that serve as eyes for the human operator that handles the robot through a virtual reality (VR) headset. Using motion-tracking, the operator controls the movement of the cameras on the robot, while a pair of handles help him control the robot's arms and hands. If an external force acts on the arms, it is relayed back to the pilot's controls, who can then take necessary action.
Thanks to the hydraulic crane that hoists the torso, the robot can do some heavy-lifting.
Caution! Work in progress
While functional, the robot is still a prototype, developed by Nippon Singal company and Human Machinery Company. The first of its kind robot will be put to full-time work in 2024. There will likely be more spin-offs of these giant robots that will help take humans out of high-risk jobs involving electric lines and working at tremendous heights.
Even if it gets the job done in a while longer without risking human life whatsoever, it is totally worth every yen you spend on it. We can wait to see them in action soon.
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2023/06/03/image/jpeg/LJsTJ6HYfeZoh6Hlc4JLiP05g8ykKNa1WXClqVwX.jpg "Scientists detect the breath between atoms")
/2023/05/27/image/jpeg/hUmy6fVQvimxfN8HBZ2IjrGKW1f8AVmrkTi3wPtJ.jpg "Stanford professor says he is 100% sure that aliens are already on Earth")
/2022/08/30/image/jpeg/4ehj1j3k4Oiv2Bj2FluoOKUnI76nmToPaWUYTV86.jpg "‘Not progress’: NASA’s giant SLS rocket is expensive and late, ex-Deputy Administrator says")
/2023/05/29/image/jpeg/g3qXfk06EeaB5lJxE9bC2rn05nVZniR0idtdl208.jpg "Windows XP activation algorithm is defeated after 21 years")
/2022/11/30/image/jpeg/Vhdle5OahUwmWO6wwELinaHf7WViJ0zib1RkKoRs.jpg "Tree roots caused mass extinctions of the past -- like humans today?")
/2023/06/03/image/jpeg/MwGIp61b2PM577qboU4pfCmoiPEju8IbV9fCHbx8.jpg "Hawking was right: All large objects will eventually evaporate")
/2023/06/03/image/jpeg/qn7kK4aUqLhX7W3hPQk3Xye9QM3CgWGtPDD1kJza.jpg "Sweetener alert: the chemical in common sweeteners damages DNA")
/2022/08/11/image/jpeg/JFjsdMtLj36EDuon5TtisxrY6ymXT3QvhSRurlG9.jpg "Sentient chatbots, Douglas Hofstadter, and why general AI is still a long way off")
/2022/11/04/image/jpeg/WcjOFfTmyFmLHJKTUpSm3gd5OioWE4fjM4zkC7pe.jpg "Phone-charging clothes material could go on sale in 'a few years'")
/2023/04/22/image/jpeg/UEMWUI3FT2iXjafRHFE4CjlEbVH27HlLzx1a5ulh.jpg "AI hyper-personalization: A revolutionary approach to tailor customer experience")