Japanese rail firm rolls out VR-piloted Gundam robotic employee

The West Japan Rail Company has launched video of its new humanoid heavy tools robotic. Mounted on the top of a crane, this gundam-style robotic torso mimics the arm and head motions of a human pilot, who sees via the robotic’s eyes by way of VR goggles.

The key targets right here, in accordance with the corporate, are “to enhance productiveness and security,” enabling staff to elevate and naturally manipulate heavy tools across the rail system with out exposing them to the chance of electrical shocks or falling.

The robotic’s giant torso is mounted to a hydraulic crane arm, which rides across the rail system on a specifically braced rail automotive, placing down stabilizing legs when it is time to get to work.

A human pilot places on a set of VR goggles, that are motion-tracked to regulate the actions of a Wall-E-style head with stereo imaginative and prescient. Gripping a pair of handles, the pilot is ready to transfer the robotic’s arms and arms – and if an exterior drive like a weight strikes the robotic’s arms, this movement is mirrored again to the pilot’s controls.

JR West

A video launched on Twitter reveals the robotic lifting and positioning some moderately sizeable elements, in addition to cleansing overhead rail buildings with a particular multi-angle brush. It grips all these instruments in what appear to be comparatively easy clamp-like “arms,” displaying an affordable diploma of dexterity, albeit working at a reasonably sluggish pace.

JR West

Typically, any try and make a robotic look humanoid would make us assume it in all probability does not work in addition to it might if it did not look humanoid. But on this case, it is smart: the pilot can shortly achieve a kinetic really feel for working the robotic, since its arms and head are in acquainted locations relative to 1 one other.

JR West is creating this machine in partnership with Human Machinery co. and Nippon Signal co. We cannot divine what’s subsequent for this broad-shouldered beast from the press launch, however you’ll be able to benefit from the video beneath.

Source: JR West