Robot colossus maintains Japanese railway lines

West Japan Railways has recently started using a railway maintenance robot that is around six metres tall. It comes from the company Jinki Ittai and has an arm span of over twelve metres. The colossus is attached to an excavator like a shovel. And this in turn is bolted onto a truck. In addition to normal tyres, the truck also has railway wheels and can drive on roads and tracks.

The job of the excavator or robot operator has the potential for industrial accidents if carried out by a human. The robot, which is controlled from a safe distance using VR goggles, ensures safety and saves time at the same time.

In addition to the grippers shown in the next image, the Colossus has various tools at its disposal. These enable it to hold a tree with one arm, for example, while the other uses a saw to remove unwanted branches.

This is what it looks like when it is working on a damaged tree near the track after a storm. Thanks to headlights, he can also get to work at night:

Cutting down trees is just a side job. As is removing obstacles on the tracks, replacing signalling systems or painting infrastructure objects. The robot is primarily used to maintain overhead lines. It has an advantage over humans here, as there is a risk of falling and electric shocks during this work.

West Japan Railways has also acquired the robot due to the Japanese labour shortage. It should be able to reduce staffing requirements by around 30 per cent. And as it also makes the job more fun, it is also more likely to appeal to the scarce skilled workers.

If you want to see the truck, excavator and robot in moving pictures, the following video starts at minute seven.