Chainsaw robot looks terrifying but has a real job

Japan’s JR East railway is using a humanoid robot equipped with a chainsaw to cut branches near train tracks, where overgrowth can interfere with passing trains. The machine takes on hazardous work at height, allowing railway staff to operate from a safer location.

Named ZIZAI ZX-3, it works on the Koumi Line in central Japan: one arm holds branches while the other uses the chainsaw, mounted on a boom attached to a maintenance vehicle. Nippon Signal delivered it to JR East earlier this year, and full-scale work began in October. A trained person remotely controls the robot, and the company hopes to equip it for other maintenance tasks.