West Japan Railway has introduced a 12-meter-tall humanoid robot for rail maintenance to address worker shortages and enhance safety.
Resembling a robot from 1980s sci-fi, it features large arms with various attachments for tasks like trimming tree branches and painting metal frames.
Mounted on a truck that can drive on rails, the robot is operated remotely by an operator in a cockpit, who "sees" through the robot’s cameras.
The technology aims to reduce accidents and could become a model for future maintenance operations, according to company president Kazuaki Hasegawa.