Spot the Robot Dog Hunts Hazards

I first saw Spot – the Boston Dynamics dog-like robot – at a trade show a number of years ago. Spot was walking around the show. Wow, I thought, I have no idea what this robot can possibly do, but I want one! Everybody on the trade show floor was talking about the cool dog. When I made it home, I dashed to YouTube to see Spot in action. To my surprise, this canine contraption can actually take on complex tasks. And he can go where no humans can tread.

Meanwhile, manufacturing facilities are experiencing crippling labor shortages. Employees are overburdened with long hours and limited resources to conduct essential inspections. Unmonitored issues that remain unaddressed can lead to safety issues and downtime. Enter Spot.

Deploying functional robots like Spot alongside humans gives dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks to a machine. That shift can save a business thousands of dollars in downtime while allowing employees to focus on complex initiatives.

Here’s a video of Spot on duty for inspection:

According to Marco da Silva, VP and general manager for Spot at Boston Dynamics, Spot provides insights into routine operations by autonomously navigating and gathering high-quality data through various sensor payloads.

The data it captures range from visual, thermal, and acoustic imaging to environmental information. The data is then analyzed to alert operators to potential issues so that they can address them before they cause downtime to the facility. “Spot’s superhuman ability to sense thermal or acoustic anomalies helps operators head off problems that could interrupt routine operations,” Marco da Silva told Design News.

Related:Boston Dynamics Gives Atlas Some Handy Hands

We caught up with Marco da Silva to get a deeper look into the multiple uses of the dog robot.

How does Spot identify hazardous situations?

Marco da Silva: Spot can be used to identify several kinds of hazardous situations using its multiple unique sensors. Spot can be sent into areas with high radiation to support nuclear decommissioning efforts while limiting human radiation exposure. In public safety applications, remote operators can gain situational awareness into dangerous situations and investigate chemical, biological, or radiological threats from a safe distance.

Here's a view of the work Spot is doing for Chevron:

Explain the safety aspects of Spot.

Da Silva: Spot enhances safety in several ways. One unique feature is its ability to access hazardous or hard-to-reach areas, significantly reducing humans' exposure to dangerous or unfit conditions. Additionally, Spot can detect environmental risks such as gas leaks, structural damages, and high temperatures, thus alerting operators of these dangers. This proactive monitoring helps prevent accidents and creates safer working environments.

Explain the pre-configured packages for inspection, research, and hazardous response.

Da Silva: Spot is equipped with various payloads tailored for inspection, research, and hazardous response applications. The inspection package includes visual, thermal, and acoustic sensors as well additional inspection focused software. Thermal inspection looks for anomalies in rotating equipment, steam traps, or electrical conductors. The robot's ability to perform automated visual inspections allows it to read gauges or detect visual changes. Additionally, Spot touts acoustic imaging to efficiently identify air leaks and prevent expensive equipment malfunctions.

The research package provides software APIs and compute payloads that allow developers to build their own applications on top of Spot. Recently, we added the ability to directly command Spot’s joints which is useful for researchers developing Reinforcement Learning algorithms.

The hazardous response package adds an arm to Spot that can be used to open doors, manipulate suspicious packages, or position special sensors into hard to reach areas.

Explain the fleet software that comes with Spot.

Da Silva: Orbit is Boston Dynamics fleet management software that gives you a single view of your site, robots, and equipment. It acts as the central platform that helps make sense of the data that robots like Spot collect throughout a facility and then turns that data into insights that feed the rest of your systems. Orbit’s site awareness provides a single real-time view of robot operations on your facility map so that operators can view their site at a glance. The fleet management capability allows operators to plan routes, schedule missions, monitor progress, and operate robots remotely. Orbit can also allow operators to see real-time alerts and track trends. For example, if there is an issue with equipment performance, Orbit can alert you with email notifications customized to your preferences.

What industries utilize Spot? And in what way do they use Spot?

Da Silva: Spot has provided value in a number of industries. For example, the manufacturing industry uses Spot to increase productivity and plant reliability with industrial inspections, making manufacturing procedures smoother and more efficient. The energy and natural resources industry use Spot to enter areas or conduct tasks that may be unsafe for humans. The public safety industry deploys Spot to keep responders out of harm’s way, while construction sites can use Spot for inspections and safety monitoring. Academic institutions also frequently use Spot to amplify research and education initiatives.