Japanese company unveils 'robot ambulance' for on-site humanoid repairs
The vehicle can transport engineers, repair equipment and replacement humanoids when robots break down.
Tokyo's streets may soon be home to a unique ambulance, not for humans but for humanoid robots. The Japanese IT company, GMO Internet Group, has unveiled a van designed specifically for maintaining humanoid robots. The vehicle, which carries replacement robots, spare parts, and engineers, is the first of its kind in Japan. Shota Takizawa, an engineer at GMO Air, explained that the ambulance transports a replacement humanoid to the site and swaps it for the damaged one.
If repairs are not possible on-site, the damaged robot can be sent back to a repair base while the replacement takes its place. The company developed this service after facing disruptions when damaged humanoids needed to be shipped away for repairs. CEO Tomohiro Uchida stated that the vehicle, with its ambulance-style markings and purple roof lights, is essentially a mobile repair workshop.
Currently, one vehicle is stationed at GMO's Tokyo headquarters, but the company could add more if demand increases. As competition over humanoid robots heats up, particularly between China and the United States, Japan is striving to bolster its position in AI-powered robotics. The Japanese government aims to have around 10 million robots deployed by 2040 in various sectors, including healthcare, food services, and manufacturing.
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