Japanese robot ‘Octopus’ for use around Fukushima nuclear power plant

Japanese researchers have developed a four-armed, six-tracked robot designed to clear debris and save lives in hard-to-reach places. The robot was created through a collaboration between Waseda University and the Kikuchi Corporation.

The name Octopus comes from the eight ‘limbs’: four arms and four tracks that can also be turned vertically. The robot is 1.7 meters high and weighs 700 kg. In addition to using its limbs, the robot can also be equipped with a laser that can cut through stone, a gripper that can clear debris and handle radioactive material, and put out fires, the university writes.

When the robot has to travel over difficult terrain, it can use its two rear arms to support itself while the vehicle climbs with the front legs and tracks. Each arm can function independently and lift objects up to 200kg. At the moment, the robot still has to be controlled by two people, but the goal is that eventually it can be operated by one operator.

In addition to the possibility to work in disaster areas, the designers also see opportunities in supporting tasks for the aging population of Japan without providing any further explanation.