Its a giant robot humanoid that looks like a cross between WALL-E and a Transformer.
Sign us the hell up.
First spotted byNews Atlas, therobothas a a large human-like torso and terrifying, mechanical claw-hands.
Its mounted on a hydraulic crane, which rides around the rail system on a specially made vehicle.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
And although the humanoid is rather slow, it does show a significant level of dexterity.
Plus, its really fun to watch.
The operator uses motion-tracking to control the movement of the cameras perched on top of the robots torso.
JR West believes that the humanoid will bring two main benefits.
First, the safety of workers through the prospective elimination of occupational accidents.
I guess robots are out for our jobs, folks.
Fortunately for the companys fleshy employees, this wont happen too soon.
The humanoid robot is currently a prototype, and it wont reach commercial production until spring 2024.
And if AI gains sentience by this point?
Well, I suggest we name the robot Optimus Prime and hope for the best.
Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW.
With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
