Japan’s busiest rail station tests robot bins

East Japan Railway Co. is testing three mobile robotic trash bins in Shinjuku Station, the world's busiest railway station, where more than 2.7 million passengers pass through daily. The bins stand just over a meter tall, move at 20 centimeters per second, and are designed to carry trash to human workers who currently empty bins by hand more than ten times a day in a station that has only seven sets of trash and recycling stations despite its size.

JR East research official Shinya Kawamichi says the trial, running until late November, aims to see whether the robots can navigate crowds safely and whether commuters will actually use them. In the meantime, the bins' googly eyes have made them a hit with tourists taking photos, including one German visitor who praised their cuteness while noting how hard it normally is to find a trash can in Japanese stations.

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