Japan Airlines (JAL) and GMO AI & Robotics, a unit of GMO Internet Group, have announced a demonstration experiment to utilize humanoid robots for ground handling tasks at Tokyo¡¯s Haneda Airport.
The roughly three-year test will begin next month with the aim of reducing the need for workers and cutting employee workloads amid a severe labor shortage in the industry.
In the test, announced Monday, two robots made in China will carry out tasks such as transporting containers and opening and closing levers that secure them. Future plans include enabling the robots to operate autonomously, thereby expanding the range of tasks they can perform.
JAL employs about 4,000 workers for ground handling, which often involves working in tight spaces. The company decided to test humanoid robots in order to save labor while leveraging existing facilities.
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