Lithuanian rail freight operator LTG Cargo has launched a pilot project that deploys a quadruped robot for autonomous wagon inspections.
LTG Cargo’s maintenance team is using the robot to gather visual data on wagon elements such as bogies, axle boxes, brake systems, and automatic couplers. The system will then use artificial intelligence to identify potential faults based on the collected imagery. The robot is expected to patrol wagon consists between 600 and 800 metres in length without direct human input.
Following evaluation of the trial’s efficiency, the company will assess whether to acquire additional units for use at major freight yards across the network.
This pilot project is part of a broader automation programme at LTG Cargo. The company already uses drones for aerial inspections of freight wagons, which has reportedly halved the time required for visual checks.
In a separate development, the company’s depot in Radviliškis operates the first welding robot of its kind in the Baltics. It performs a full scan of geometrically complex components weighing up to 500 kg in just 90 seconds. The robot compares the scanned contour with stored reference models and decides whether restoration is needed.
LTG Cargo, a subsidiary of LTG Group, provides freight transportation, intermodal logistics, forwarding, loading, and wagon and locomotive maintenance services in Lithuania and abroad. It also operates subsidiaries in Poland and Ukraine.
