1 hr ago
Japan Unveils Robot Ambulance for On-Site Humanoid Repairs
Japan has introduced a special vehicle for broken humanoid robots.
It is called a robot ambulance.
The vehicle carries engineers, repair tools, spare parts, and sometimes a replacement robot.
When a robot stops working, its operators can request help.
Technicians can check the robot’s systems at the place where it broke.
They may fix damaged parts or software problems there.
Afterward, they test the robot’s balance and movement controls.
GMO Air currently has one such ambulance at its Tokyo headquarters.
GMO Internet Group’s GMO Air has unveiled a mobile unit for emergency humanoid-robot repairs.
The robot ambulance is expected to operate on Tokyo’s streets and carries engineers, tools, and spare parts.
Technicians can diagnose hardware and software problems wirelessly at the robot’s location.
The unit can bring a replacement humanoid and re-sync balance gyros and motion controllers after repairs.
GMO Air currently has one ambulance at its Tokyo headquarters, saying demand may grow as humanoids become more common.
- Who
- GMO Internet Group’s GMO Air, including engineers Shota Takizawa and CEO Tomohiro Uchida.
- What
- A mobile robot ambulance designed to provide emergency assistance, repairs, and replacement humanoids for malfunctioning robots.
- Where
- Tokyo, Japan, with one ambulance currently based at GMO Air’s Tokyo headquarters.
- When
- The unit is expected to soon operate on Tokyo’s streets; no specific launch date is given.
- Why
- To avoid the time and transport costs of taking heavy, disabled humanoid robots to centralized repair centers.
Key facts
- Company
- GMO Internet Group’s GMO Air
- Service
- Emergency roadside assistance and on-site repairs for humanoid robots
- Location
- Tokyo, Japan
- Equipment
- Engineers, repair tools, spare parts, and replacement humanoids
- Diagnostics
- Wireless checks for hardware failures and software bugs
- Current availability
- One robot ambulance at GMO Air’s Tokyo headquarters
- Expected operation
- The unit is expected to soon run on Tokyo streets
Quotes
Tomohiro Uchida
CEO of GMO Air
“The humanoid 'ambulance' carries the replacement humanoid to the site and replaces it with the damaged humanoid.”
NDTV
“Learning from that experience, we came up with the idea of providing replacement humanoids”
NDTV








