Japanese Airport Trialing Humanoid Robots as Baggage Handlers
Starting in May, Japan Airlines, in partnership with GMO AI & Robotics, will trial humanoid robots to assist baggage handlers at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. The experiment, running until 2028, aims to address labor shortages in a high-traffic hub serving over 60 million passengers annually. The robots, developed by Unitree, are designed to handle luggage, though a recent demonstration showed them merely moving a container via a conveyor belt. While the trial is framed as a serious attempt to improve efficiency, concerns remain about reliability given past robot failures. The initiative also seeks to support Japan’s tourism growth, with seven million tourists visiting in the first two months of the year. GMO AI & Robotics’ president, Tomohiro Uchida, emphasized that while airports appear automated, their back-end operations still rely heavily on human labor.
Source: Futurism