Russian railways want tiny robots to replace humans in difficult maintenance work, and they want Russian-made androids that can dance and talk.

Prototypes of tested Russian robots "surpass foreign-produced robots with their technical characteristics," according to a statement from Russian railways on Thursday.

They have bought eight Russian robots for testing. Seven are 35-centimetres (13.8-inches) high, and the eighth is 1.4 metres tall and weighs 70 kilograms (154 pounds).

The plan is to "build special robot models that can replace humans in particularly difficult work for railways," the statement said.

The robots can inspect parts of trains that are difficult for humans to access, Roman Timofeyev, a rail official, told Vesti 24 television channel.

Russian television on Thursday showed the robots dancing on tables in front of amazed members of the public. One robot said "Hello" and a few words on its capabilities.
sections: Hi-Tech