JR Tokai's Oi Depot Achieves 40,000 km Annually with 16 "Souther COALA" Units, Equivalent to One Trip Around the Earth

Doog Inc. (hereinafter, "our company") and Shinkansen Maintenance Tokai Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, "SMT") have introduced 16 units of the automated transportation solution "Souther COALA" and 300 dedicated docking dollies at the Oi Depot, a Shinkansen depot operated by JR Central (hereinafter, "JR Tokai"), and have been proceeding with continuous operation.

We are pleased to announce that we have achieved automated transportation of 40,000 km in the first year as an operational achievement at the Oi Depot, and have also begun deployment to Mishima and Nagoya Depots, expanding the scope of automated transportation within maintenance sheds.

What is Souther COALA?

Souther COALA is an automated transportation solution (patent pending) jointly developed by our company and SMT over three years. It automatically docks with dedicated shelves carrying waste from Shinkansen train interiors and supplies necessary for maintenance, and transports them. The Oi Depot installation uses the Souther Standard as the base vehicle for Souther COALA. The docking dollies are specifically designed for Souther COALA.

At Shinkansen depots, transportation work is carried out along approximately 400m platforms (hereinafter, "service decks") where 16-car Shinkansen trains enter. Therefore, 8 robots operate in coordinated driving through group control. By forming platoons while driving, the robots achieve long-distance and efficient transportation. The Oi Depot has two maintenance sheds, with 8 robots operating in each, and 150 docking dollies assigned to each. The system automatically manages which dolly needs to be transported to which location and operates 24 hours a day.

Souther COALA docking. Automated transportation between Tokaido Shinkansen trains. Souther COALA returning to the depot.

Background of Development and Introduction

At Shinkansen depots, it is necessary to transport waste collected from train interiors and supplies for maintenance over long distances on the service decks. Previously, "dressers" used manual dollies for transportation over approximately 400m, but this involved a heavy workload and posed challenges in responding to labor shortages. This transportation work is essential for train maintenance and is carried out day and night to support the 24-hour operation of the depots.

Against this backdrop, our company and SMT have been jointly developing "Souther COALA" with automated docking capabilities for dollies, aiming to reduce the burden on dressers and improve the working environment.

※ Dresser: At SMT, all staff involved are called "dressers" as they are in a service industry connected to Shinkansen.

Effects of Introduction

At the Oi Depot, a total of 16 Souther COALA units are in operation, with 8 in each of the two maintenance sheds. The first maintenance shed (8 units) travels approximately 1,520 km per month, and the second maintenance shed (8 units) travels approximately 1,950 km per month. The cumulative annual mileage for the 16 units reaches approximately 41,800 km, equivalent to about one trip around the Earth.

Previously, transportation work equivalent to this distance was performed by dressers using manual dollies, but the introduction of Souther COALA has automated this process. This has significantly reduced manual long-distance transportation work, contributing to a reduction in workload and an improvement in the working environment.

Furthermore, dressers are freed from long-distance transportation tasks, enabling them to perform train maintenance more efficiently and focus on more specialized tasks such as management.

Towards the Realization of a Future Vision

SMT aims to create a workplace environment where staff can work vibrantly and for a long time, based on the philosophy of "letting machines do what machines can do, and people do what only people can do," and is engaged in various technological developments and mechanization efforts.

Souther COALA is an achievement made as part of these efforts. Based on the operational results at the Oi Depot, deployment to Mishima and Nagoya Depots is currently underway.

Moving forward, our company will continue to collaborate with SMT, JR Central, and maintenance companies in various regions to further automate Shinkansen depots and contribute to the realization of a more comfortable working environment.

SMT's Future Vision Map. ■ Beyond the Future Vision ~For Your Innovation~

This initiative, born from the desire to "create a more comfortable workplace," has led SMT, not a robot manufacturer, to learn about robots (AGVs) themselves and achieve on-site innovation through the "synergy between a Shinkansen maintenance company and a robot manufacturer." Our company believes that innovation arises not just from technology, but from the "passion" to realize it. In the future, we will support aspiring engineers and children challenging themselves in manufacturing by sharing the development story of this project.

Oi Depot Souther COALA Introduction Team Members (SMT Mitsumata, Kamachi, Doog Matsushita, Ishida)

Inquiries

For inquiries regarding this release, please contact us through the inquiry form on our website (https://doog-inc.com/contact/ ).