Robots are beginning to play a key role in UK rail safety inspections, according to a press release by infrastructure manager Network Rail. The statement reveals a dog-like automaton called Eric that has achieved a world first, leading to hopes he could prove to be rail travellers’ best friend.
Railway infrastructure includes not just what’s on the surface but also below-ground brick tunnels and concrete culverts 50 to 60 metres long and between just 400mm to 1,200mm wide. Inspecting these water drainage facilities is dangerous and hard for humans, and even when sections of railway are closed to allow teams to get in, the information gathered remains limited in scope due to access problems.
“Nimble and small” and covered in cameras
However, a partnership between Network Rail and Chinese robotics firm Unitree has resulted in a railway first that saw Eric the robotic dog deployed to get inside one of the UK network’s most difficult-to-reach places. The railway workers’ companion completed his first culvert inspection beneath a stretch of track in Essex in the southeast of the country, on 7 February 2025.
Meet Eric the robot dog. 🐶 🐕
— Network Rail (@networkrail) March 11, 2025
What is he and how is he helping prevent delays to your journeys?
Find out:
👉 https://t.co/utryirt2sD#TechTuesday #BritishScienceWeek pic.twitter.com/AIrbX8msCZ
Described by Network Rail as “nimble and small”, Eric is a four-legged robot who can reach “deep inside some of these underground structures far more quickly than our staff.” The intrepid auto canine is equipped with cameras and lights that cover his body, meaning he can be deployed “to capture high quality video and image recordings of the inside of these structures.”
In footage shared by the group on X (formerly Twitter), Eric’s silver form can be seen trotting easily through overgrowth towards a pair of human maintenance workers and a small tunnel entrance.
Vital data in greater detail
Eric’s first deployment has been deemed “a big success” by Network Rail, providing information “more detailed and comprehensive than we’ve ever had.” Being such a good boy, Eric will continue to be trialled on other future inspections, the public organisation promised, explaining to passengers that the use of robotics “helps us understand the condition of these structures in far greater detail. It means we can maintain and repair the culverts far earlier – before they affect your journeys.”
The state of public transportation is under scrutiny in the UK, where the government has recently published shaming train cancellation data, amid the gradual renationalisation and rebranding of the network. Eric could be part of the solution to some improvements. Christopher Jackson, a project manager at Network Rail, predicts that Eric will help engineers “keep our railway safe and reliable, to keep our passengers and freight customers moving.”
Hangzhou-based Unitree has created a series of four-legged and bipedal humanoid robots that have gained attention through stunts such as delivering discus and javelins to athletes competing at the 19th Asian Games. Alongside industry inspection applications, the firm suggests other civic uses for robots like Eric, including fire and rescue work.
