Humanoid Robots Start Sorting Luggage In Tokyo Airport Test Amid Labor Shortage (arstechnica.com) 36
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Humanoid robots are getting a new gig as baggage handlers and cargo loaders at Tokyo's Haneda Airport -- part of a Japan Airlines experiment to address a human labor shortage as airport visitor numbers have surged in recent years. The demonstration, set to launch in May 2026, could eventually test humanoid robots in a wide range of airport tasks, including cleaning aircraft cabins and possibly handling ground support equipment such as baggage carts, according to a Japan Airlines press release. The trials are scheduled to run until 2028, which suggests that travelers flying into or out of Tokyo may spot some of the robots at work.
[...] Japan Airlines is interested in testing whether humanoid robots powered by some of the latest AI models can adapt more readily to human work environments -- such as airports -- without requiring dedicated work stations or other significant workplace modifications. The airline's subsidiary, JAL Ground Service, has teamed up with GMO AI & Robotics Corporation to oversee the demonstration. The Japanese companies will test the G1 robot and Walker E robot from Chinese companies Unitree Robotics and UBTECH Robotics, according to The Asia Business Daily. Humanoid robots still typically cost tens of thousands of dollars per unit despite Chinese robotics manufacturers scaling up mass production, although the Unitree G1 robot costs as low as $13,500 for the baseline model.
A new video from an apparently staged demonstration in an aircraft hangar shows one of the humanoid robots tottering up to a large, metal cargo container and making a vague pushing gesture. But the cargo container only begins to move once a human worker starts the conveyor belt to move the container toward the aircraft. Presumably, the robots will need to put in much more effective work if they're to prove as productive as human airport workers. Having robots working directly alongside humans will also introduce new safety considerations for airports like Haneda Airport, which is Japan's second-largest airport, with flights arriving approximately every two minutes. The first step in the pilot program will involve identifying which airport areas will be safest for humanoid robots.
[...] Japan Airlines is interested in testing whether humanoid robots powered by some of the latest AI models can adapt more readily to human work environments -- such as airports -- without requiring dedicated work stations or other significant workplace modifications. The airline's subsidiary, JAL Ground Service, has teamed up with GMO AI & Robotics Corporation to oversee the demonstration. The Japanese companies will test the G1 robot and Walker E robot from Chinese companies Unitree Robotics and UBTECH Robotics, according to The Asia Business Daily. Humanoid robots still typically cost tens of thousands of dollars per unit despite Chinese robotics manufacturers scaling up mass production, although the Unitree G1 robot costs as low as $13,500 for the baseline model.
A new video from an apparently staged demonstration in an aircraft hangar shows one of the humanoid robots tottering up to a large, metal cargo container and making a vague pushing gesture. But the cargo container only begins to move once a human worker starts the conveyor belt to move the container toward the aircraft. Presumably, the robots will need to put in much more effective work if they're to prove as productive as human airport workers. Having robots working directly alongside humans will also introduce new safety considerations for airports like Haneda Airport, which is Japan's second-largest airport, with flights arriving approximately every two minutes. The first step in the pilot program will involve identifying which airport areas will be safest for humanoid robots.
Sorting? (Score:3)
The video shows one struggling to apply light pressure to a cargo container, and that's it. I'd love to know what their actual capabilities are.
Re: (Score:2)
Seems more like a PR stunt than anything practical.
Re: Sorting? (Score:2)
Humanoid robots (androids?) are nightmare fuel. We used to watch movies and read books of these constructs running amuck. Why do it for real? And why would anyone get exciting in a positive way about seeing one?
At best, a humanoid robot means an isolationist culture does not have to look to immigration to solve their labor problems. At worst, economic catastrophe, accidents, robot wars, etc.
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I don't know, they make pretty great detectives. I'd have no problems with R. Daneel Olivaw on the case.
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Seems more like a PR stunt than anything practical.
This is very, very true. If you ask anyone who actually knows anything about robotics, they'll point out that you almost never see a human standing near a humanoid robot (and when you do, it's under extremely controlled "demo" conditions only).
There's a reason for that: HUMANOID ROBOTS ARE FREAKING DANGEROUS! One mistaken action by these things can literally kill a person, and we don't (yet) have the tech to safeguard that (and still have a useful robot).
To be clear, humanoid robots are coming someday ...
Re: (Score:2)
the robots will need to put in much more effective work if they're to prove as productive as human airport workers.
Which is the wrong metric to use. If the Unitree robot costs half as much as a human makes in a year but can work at some boring drudge job 24/7 (with battery swaps) at only 2/3 the efficiency of that human then they're still ahead, and don't have to worry about the drudge betting bored and quitting.
I have to agree with you about humanoid robots though. If the robot has generally humanoid features, even something as bizarre as Handle, people are going to expect generally humanoid capabilities and be disap
Re: (Score:2)
Unitree's own specs for the G1 state something like 3kg max per arm: https://www.unitree.com/g1 [unitree.com]
(CTRL+F "parameter")
Baggage handling seems like quite a lofty goal, given those specs.
Labor shortage (Score:5, Funny)
Thats OK, we can't afford to fly now anyway.
Scraping the Internet (Score:2)
shows one of the humanoid robots tottering up to a large, metal cargo container and making a vague pushing gesture. But the cargo container only begins to move once a human worker starts the conveyor belt to move the container toward the aircraft.
Evidently learned by scraping YouTube videos of some local natives pushing on the cab of a pickup truck while standing in the bed. This describes A.I. training in a nutshell.
Any robot will be better (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: Any robot will be better (Score:3)
Re: Any robot will be better (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
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"United breaks guitars"
unlikely (Score:2)
I doubt vision is good enough to do manipulation of luggage. At best, this might involve a fork in a conveyer and reading a bar code to push some pieces into the fork. Stuff that probably is already done by Fedex or UPS.
What labour shortage in Japan ? (Score:2)
In Japan unemployment was 2.7% in March 2026 [tradingeconomics.com]. So either they are not paying enough to get staff or they are not telling the truth.
Re: (Score:2)
They are probably offering Slave Wages.
And now they are using robots.
Meanwhile the word ROBOT literally means slave (https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=robot)
Re: What labour shortage in Japan ? (Score:2)
Thereâ(TM)s no labor shortage. Thereâ(TM)s a compensation shortage.
Re: (Score:2)
Plus the jobs going unfilled are generally unutterably boring. Crap jobs paying crap wages, who wouldn't want that?
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2.7% unemployment is in the range of severe labour shortage. (Full employment is considered when unemployment rate is about 4-5%.)
Bullshit! (Score:2)
There is no labor shortage and these robots suck at that job.
This is a PR stunt.
amazing (Score:4, Funny)
Re:amazing ^H^H^H fixed it (Score:2)
Fixed it for you "A Robot^H^H^H Dummy that can slam luggage against wall, dent it, and steal my laptop. Technology is a marvel." sometimes I feel like they have been parading the same automaton for the last 10 years.
After seeing the capabilities of the Boston Dynamics model/style of robots and with AI's apparent learn rate one some engineer would have figured out by now how to connect the wires (no disrespect to the field) but these marketing events are doing more to diminish the perception of progress.
When will a robot get sucked into an engine? (Score:2)
u r my sunshine, where the sun don't shine (Score:2)
it's not a labor shortage, it's a hiring shortage.
It's a conditions shortage, a pay shortage, a generosity shortage
Or you could just say it's an abundance of evil, a windfall for greed, a boon for the tight-assed and the hamfisted.
When the robots all break down, let them hire you back as a consultant! You can tell them where they can *really* put their luggage.
Sounds like what they really need... (Score:2)
What they really need is a constant stream of non-Japanese speaking workers to "seek asylum" in Japan, so they can fill these low-skill jobs Japanese workers just won't do...
Question (Score:2)
Is this the timeline where U.S. Robotics and Mechanical Men, Inc is formed?
ORLY (Score:1)