GMO unveils humanoid ambulance for on site robot repairs

GMO Internet Group has unveiled a van equipped to support humanoid repairs at deployment sites in Tokyo. Operated by GMO Air, the vehicle carries engineers, replacement parts, maintenance equipment and a spare humanoid that can take the place of a damaged unit.

If technicians cannot complete the repair on site, the damaged robot can be returned to a repair base while the replacement remains at work. According to Euronews, the van has room for robots, laptops and repair equipment, effectively making it a mobile workshop despite its ambulance style markings and purple roof lights.

GMO Air developed the service after robot failures caused operational disruptions while damaged humanoids were sent elsewhere for repair. “Learning from that experience, we came up with the idea of providing replacement humanoids,” CEO Tomohiro Uchida said. The company claims the GMO humanoid ambulance is Japan’s first vehicle designed specifically for humanoid maintenance.

For operators, the practical feature is the swap model rather than the ambulance branding. Sending a spare robot with the repair crew is intended to reduce downtime when field repairs are not possible, an increasingly relevant service requirement if humanoids are expected to perform regular operational work.

One vehicle is currently based at GMO’s Tokyo headquarters. The company said it could add vehicles and service bases if demand grows, but Euronews did not report a supported robot model, response time, service area or commercial terms.

Source: euronews