Humanoid robots to handle baggage at Tokyo airport
Ground handling is a tough job, and Japan is facing a growing labor shortage. JAL wants robots to handle these tasks in the future.
(Image: Unitree Robotics / Screenshot: heise medien)
Support from robots is to be provided to staff at Tokyo's Haneda Airport: the airline Japan Airlines (JAL) is testing the use of robots in ground handling.
The humanoid robots are intended to support human colleagues in a series of tasks, JAL announced. In the future, assistance will range from loading baggage and cabin cleaning to operating ground support equipment (GSE). The project starts next month and is scheduled to run until 2028.
Robots from China
The humanoid robots, approximately 1.3 meters tall, are supplied by the Chinese company Unitree, as the British daily The Guardian reports. JAL demonstrated this week how a robot pushed cargo onto a conveyor belt next to an aircraft.
Ground handling is heavy work that, due to the conditions, must primarily be done by humans, JAL explains. However, there are fewer and fewer available workers qualified for such tasks in a safety-critical environment.
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Robots are to take over the tasks in the future. According to JAL, humanoid robots are best suited for this. Their range of motion and adaptability are comparable to those of humans. “Being human-shaped allows their introduction without significant modifications to existing airport facilities or aircraft structures.”
(wpl)
