South Korean national operator Korail has developed an autonomous inspection robot for railway infrastructure that uses artificial intelligence (AI). A live demonstration of the new device took place in Daejeon on 4th December 2023. Equipped with LTE communication, cameras, and lidar sensors, the robot can operate autonomously on railway tracks to specific locations and detect obstacles that could disrupt train operations. Korail is planning to use the new robot to proactively check track conditions in extreme weather conditions or where there are risks to occupational safety. Test operations of the device are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023 and commercial deployment is planned for the first half of 2024.
