JR East Puts Chainsaw-Wielding Humanoid Robot to Work on Rail Lines
JR East has shown its ZIZAI ZX-3 humanoid robot cutting branches beside tracks in Nagano with an electric chainsaw, controlled remotely by a worker on the ground.
Japanese railway operator JR East has put a humanoid robot armed with an electric chainsaw to work on track-side maintenance. The company recently demonstrated the machine, called ZIZAI ZX-3, removing tree branches near Nobeyama Station on the Koumi Line in Nagano Prefecture.
The robot grips a branch with a clamp on one arm while a chainsaw mounted on the other arm cuts it. A worker operates the machine remotely from the ground, which reduces the amount of work people must do at height, where hazards such as electric shock are present.
Labor shortages and night work
According to the company, it began using the robot in the field in March this year. The goal is to ease staffing shortages and lighten the burden of night-time work.
JR East is not the only operator using the technology. West Japan Railway, known as JR West, also uses machines from the same ZIZAI series.
Newer models
Recently, an improved humanoid version was unveiled that can work at heights of up to 15 meters, 3 meters higher than the previous reach. A single-arm model was also shown, capable of handling parts weighing up to 120 kg.
For rail operators, the appeal is practical. Jobs that would put workers up high near hazardous equipment can be shifted to an operator standing safely on the ground. As workforces shrink and maintenance remains demanding, remotely piloted humanoids are moving from demonstration to routine fieldwork in Japan.
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