Visakhapatnam: Indian Railways deployed a humanoid robot named ASC ARJUN at Visakhapatnam Railway Station to strengthen passenger safety, security and service delivery.
The deployment marked a first-of-its-kind initiative across the Indian Railways network. Officials said ASC ARJUN would work alongside Railway Protection Force personnel, especially during peak passenger movement, to support station operations.
Inspector General of RPF Alok Bohra and Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra unveiled the humanoid robot in the presence of Senior Divisional Security Commandant A.K. Dubey. The launch highlighted Indian Railways’ focus on adopting emerging technologies and indigenous innovation.
Developers fully designed and built ASC ARJUN in Visakhapatnam using home-grown technology. A dedicated team worked for more than a year to complete the project, officials said, reflecting Indian Railways’ growing capability to integrate advanced systems into daily operations.
The robot supports intrusion detection through a face recognition system, AI-based crowd monitoring and real-time alerts to RPF control rooms. It can also make automated public announcements in English, Hindi and Telugu to guide passengers and improve safety awareness.
ASC ARJUN to assist RPF with surveillance and emergency response
ASC ARJUN features semi-autonomous navigation along predefined routes with obstacle avoidance, allowing it to patrol platforms round the clock. Officials said this capability would improve surveillance while optimising manpower deployment.
In addition, the robot includes fire and smoke detection systems to enable quicker response during emergencies. It also offers passenger-friendly interaction, including Namaste gestures for travellers and salutes for RPF personnel, along with an interface to provide information and assistance.
Indian Railways said it would continue to leverage technology-driven and indigenous solutions to build a safer, more secure and passenger-friendly railway environment across the country.
