Humanoid robots start sorting luggage in Tokyo airport test amid labor shortage

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.

Humanoid robot demonstration with airport cargo.

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.

Cost-effective robotic assistance could prove welcome for Japan’s airports, which have struggled with a worsening human labor shortage. In December 2023, Tokyo’s Narita Airport was reportedly unable to respond to more than 30 percent of requested flights each week because of staff shortages involving cargo handlers and other ground crew, according to The Mainichi. Japanese government data showed that ground crew numbers across Japan fell from 26,300 to 23,700 between March 2019 and September 2023.