Indian Railways has achieved a significant technological milestone by deploying its first humanoid robot, named “ASC Arjun,” at Visakhapatnam Railway Station under the East Coast Railway zone. Inspired by the legendary archer Arjuna from the Mahabharata, the robot was unveiled by Inspector General (RPF) Alok Bohra and Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra in the presence of Senior Divisional Security Commandant A K Dubey. This deployment marks a pioneering effort in modernizing railway security and passenger services through indigenous innovation.

Entirely designed and developed in Visakhapatnam over more than a year, ASC Arjun incorporates advanced features to support the Railway Protection Force (RPF). It utilizes a Face Recognition System to detect intruders and sends instant IoT-enabled alerts to security personnel for rapid response. The robot also performs AI-based passenger density analysis to prevent overcrowding and enable proactive crowd control during peak hours.

Equipped for semi-autonomous navigation along predefined paths with obstacle avoidance, ASC Arjun ensures continuous 24×7 patrolling, reducing the workload on human staff. It delivers safety announcements and information in English, Hindi, and Telugu, guides passengers effectively, and interacts through friendly gestures to build public trust. In emergencies, such as fire incidents, it detects smoke early and triggers immediate alerts.

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The robot features multi-language capabilities for broader reach and includes cultural touches like greeting passengers with “Namaste” and saluting RPF officers. An integrated dashboard provides real-time monitoring and intelligence to aid decision-making in control rooms. Officials highlighted that ASC Arjun will supplement operations in security, cleanliness monitoring, safety awareness, and overall passenger experience.

Inspector General Alok Bohra described the initiative as a forward-thinking step in adopting cutting-edge technology to strengthen railway security and support frontline personnel. The introduction of ASC Arjun reflects Indian Railways’ ongoing push toward digital transformation and self-reliant innovation in public service infrastructure.

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