Equipped with incredible strength and protective armor,

this massive robot can take on tasks that would be challenging or dangerous for humans.

And this little box-shaped robot can handle the monotonous yet important job of securing rebar with wire.

Today's On-Site Report shows how robots are being used to increase efficiency and safety at work sites across Japan.

This tiny automated robot busily works its way across a construction site.

It has mastered the mundane task of securing rebar with wire.

Half of the work in installing rebar involves securing the bars by tying them together.

Usually, this task is done by skilled workers - requiring them to bend down and apply each wire by hand.

This ensures structural integrity by holding the rebar in place when the concrete is poured.

The robot was developed by Manabe Tatsuya.

Having done lots of rebar installation work himself,

he felt there had to be a way to increase efficiency and eliminate 6-day work weeks.

I hated tying rebar more than anything!

I thought it was ridiculous that highly skilled workers had to do something so monotonous.

I have two children, and I was hardly able to attend any of their school events.

Even now, most construction workers usually only have Sundays off, so I really wanted to try and change that.

In 2017, he partnered with an electronics manufacturer and began the research and development process.

The initial design had 4 wheels that ran across two rows of rebar.

However, the weight of the 60kg robot caused the rebar to flex and often led to derailments.

The solution - adding another set of wheels that allow the robot to distribute its weight over 3 rows of rebar as well as improving its balance.

For applying the wire ties, they selected a commercially available power tool.

By attaching one to both sides of the robot, they were able to drastically increase efficiency.

The robot uses a magnetic sensor wheel attached to its undercarriage to identify intersecting points.

When the sensor is forced upwards, the robot knows it's in the right position to apply the wire ties.

The robot is 30% faster than an experienced construction worker, and can complete 10,000 ties in just 8 hours.

It was made available for sale in 2020 at a price of about $20,000.

Including rentals, currently 100 units are in use at construction sites across Japan.

Such as at this location, where one was being used on a civil engineering project.

By adding just one robot, the project required 7 workers instead of 9.

Despite the reduction in manpower, the ability to focus their attention on other work allowed the crew to have 2 days off every week.

I think innovative changes like the introduction of this robot are going to play a key role

as we try to create an industry where construction workers can have 8 days off a month.

Construction is the ultimate form of manufacturing.

It requires precise calculations and highly skilled workers.

Looking forward, we hope to have robots do all the hard work - so hopefully that will encourage more people to join our industry!

Clad in carbon fiber, this massive humanoid robot cuts an imposing figure.

Even more so when you realize that when in use, its body is attached to the end of a crane.

But not to worry, the robot is controlled by a skilled operator who uses it to complete difficult tasks in hard to reach locations.

The powerful bot was designed and built by robotics expert, Dr. Kanaoka.

He felt compelled to work on human-helping robots after seeing many people put in harm's way

when trying to deal with the aftermath of the nuclear accident caused by the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

I realized I hadn't contributed anything.

Initially, robots weren't of any use in dealing with the situation in Fukushima.

As a researcher, I felt extremely frustrated and embarrassed.

That's when I decided to start my own private company, instead of working at a university -

so I could create robots that would actually be of use to people in the real world.

Dr. Kanaoka decided that rather than focusing on a robot designed specifically for disaster response,

it would be better to focus on versatility and set out to create a robot that that could be used for performing a wide range of tasks.

He felt that if the robot became commercially successful,

broad adoption would make them easy deployable for assistance in times of emergency.

A combination of motion-based controls that are hardwired directly to the robot's head and arms,

allow for precise and intuitive movement.

The operator uses pressure sensitive triggers to apply grip force -

which allows the robot to gently pickup an egg without cracking its shell,

or deliver a powerful vice-like grip that far exceeds the power any human is capable of.

If we succeed in building robots that can be used easily by almost anyone,

then humans won't have to do dangerous manual labor anymore.

One of Japan's major railway companies recognized the potential in Dr. Kanaoka's research

and partnered with him in the development of the robot.

Maintenance and repair work in the in the railroad industry can be extremely hazardous - averaging over 200 accidents per year.

This type of work often requires going up to high places and working on or near high voltage power lines -

putting our staff at risk of both electrocution and dangerous falls.

They hope that the robot will be able to perform tasks in these dangerous environments

that up until now could only be done by human employees.

During tests conducted in 2022, a 20kg component designed for supporting high-voltage power lines

was lifted to a height of 9m and successfully brought into position for installation.

The rail company hopes to begin using the Robot to handle a variety of actual tasks from the Spring of 2024,

including applying fresh paint to aging parts and components.

Improving safety is the biggest and most pressing issue for the railroad industry,

so I think adding some robot-tech will really help us to change its image.

The manufacturer is now testing the robot for traffic light installation and other types of challenging infrastructure maintenance,

such as checking the walls and ceilings of tunnels to ensure structural integrity.

Broad adoption of technology like this that allows us to do work with speed and strength far beyond what ordinary humans are capable of

will not only allow us to better respond to disasters and other emergencies,

it will also lead to drastically reducing the amount of heavy labor we have to do.