It resembles a malevolent robot from 1980s sci-fi, but West Japan Railway’s new humanoid employee was designed with nothing more sinister in mind than a spot of painting and gardening. Starting this month, the machine, which features a crude head and coke-bottle eyes mounted on a truck that can drive on rails, will be put to use for maintenance work on the firm’s network.

The operator sits in a cockpit on the truck, “seeing” through the robot’s eyes via cameras and operating its powerful limbs and hands remotely. With a vertical reach of 12 meters (40 feet), the machine can use various attachments for its arms to carry objects as heavy as 40 kilograms (88 pounds), hold a brush to paint, or use a chainsaw. Initially, the robot’s primary tasks will focus on trimming tree branches along rails and painting metal frames that hold cables above trains, according to the company.

In the early 1990s, a researcher at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology began work on what would become Paro, a therapeutic robot resembling a doe-eyed seal pup. Over 30 years later, Paro remains the best-known example of a robot designed to provide companionship for older adults. In 2011, Paro even made an unofficial cameo on “The Simpsons,” highlighting its cultural impact.

Japan has long been a leader in age-tech robotics due to its rapid adoption of new technology and its aging population, with 29% of its citizens being 65 or older. While increased life expectancy is generally positive, it can also erode traditional support structures. Robots have been proposed as a solution to supplement human care shortages and alleviate loneliness among older adults.