Recently, Japanese railway company JR West announced plans to use giant VR-driven robots in the construction of future railway lines.
According to reports, this humanoid two-arm robot was developed in cooperation with the railway signaling technology company Nippon Signal, and through the combination with the railway construction vehicle, it has become a multi-functional railway heavy machinery. Such developments are designed to cope with various equipment installed at heights, and to reduce the burden of human labor, and to improve productivity and safety by mechanizing tasks that required human labor in the past.
JR West said the move will help improve efficiency and prepare for future labor shortages, and the use of robots will also help prevent work accidents such as electric shock and fall.
The system is very simple. The operator sits in the cab, wears an HP Reverb G2 headset to observe the construction from the robot's point of view, and is equipped with a large operator panel to operate the robotic arm, allowing the user to interact with various machines in detail. Presumably, the operator will be able to feel the weight of the object while working, providing a more intuitive and natural experience.
JR West is currently testing its heavy equipment robot, which is expected to be operational in the spring of 2024. Although the system is designed specifically for railway construction, it is easy to adapt the system to serve a wide variety of industries across the globe. The company's VR robot could theoretically be used for powerline operations, demolition, roof and high-rise work, and a variety of other high-risk scenarios.