Tokyo (AFP) July 4, 2024
It resembles a malevolent robot from 1980s sci-fi but West Japan Railway's new humanoid employee was designed with nothing more sinister than a spot of painting and gardening in mind.
Starting this month, the machine with a crude head and coke-bottle eyes mounted on a truck - which can drive on rails - will be put to use for maintenance work on the firm's network.
Its operator sits in
