A specialized technical assistance service for humanoid robots has begun operating in Tokyo: damaged androids are now repaired on-site, according to infohub.kz.
Japanese company GMO Internet Group has deployed the country's first ambulance van for androids on the capital's streets. The vehicle is equipped with purple flashing lights and the inscription Humanoid Ambulance, as well as diagnostic devices, tools, and spare parts. Engineers are on board, ready to perform repairs on the spot.
The key feature of the new service is that if a robot cannot be fixed on-site, it is immediately provided with a replacement. The broken android is sent to the company's laboratory in the Shibuya district for repairs, while a backup mechanism takes its place.
As GMO AIR CEO Tomohiro Uchida noted, the idea for such a service arose after cases where sending equipment for lengthy repairs led to disruptions in clients' operations.
Currently, only one such van is on duty in Tokyo. It exclusively services androids supplied by GMO AIR. These include machines manufactured by Unitree, which are being tested as loaders at Haneda Airport.
The company believes that accumulating experience in on-site repairs will become a crucial step before the mass adoption of humanoid robots in everyday life.