OtherNov 5, 2026, 10:32 AM UTC·1 min read

Russian Railways tests robot dog to check Lastochka train repairs

Russian Railways is trialling a biomorphic robot dog at the Podmoskovnaya depot to see whether it can oversee the quality of Lastochka train repairs.

Russian Railways (RZD) has started testing a biomorphic robot, a four-legged machine often described as a robot dog, at the Podmoskovnaya depot near Moscow. The company's press service says the trial is meant to show how well the robot can monitor the quality of repair work on Lastochka trains.

The test is the first step. According to RZD, if the robot proves useful in the depot, it could later be used to diagnose railway infrastructure. The company has not said how long the pilot will run or which sensors and tools the machine carries, so the scope of any wider rollout remains open.

Why it matters

Repair quality control is a routine but demanding job. Inspectors have to check many components, often in confined spaces such as pits and areas under the carriage, and they must document what they find. A walking robot that can move around a depot floor is one way the railway could add a consistent second pair of eyes to that process.

The choice of a legged platform is also notable. Machines of this type can cope with uneven ground, steps and tight passages better than wheeled robots, which matters in a working depot and potentially along the tracks. That flexibility is what makes the later infrastructure use, mentioned by RZD, plausible.

What comes next

For now this remains a test. RZD has not published results, performance criteria or a timetable for deployment. The outcome in Podmoskovnaya will determine whether the robot moves from checking Lastochka repairs to broader diagnostics of tracks and other railway facilities, as the company envisages.

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Tags:russian railwaysrobot doglastochkaroboticsrail maintenance