Spot gets new hardware and capabilities

Boston Dynamics has announced in a blog that it is adding a new set of features and hardware to its well-known Spot robot. The additions are designed to make critical industrial tasks like thermal monitoring, acoustic leak detection and gauge reading easier through automated inspection solutions. New features in the company’s Scout software allow users to plan and edit missions remotely and get better visibility into their site. Added visual and audio features help the robot signal its intentions, improving safety on busy or populous job-sites. A new manipulation capability is also being added for more autonomous missions.

Improved inspection workflows

To improve ease of use, Boston Dynamics has released a software update that makes visual, thermal and acoustic inspections easier.

Compressed air leaks on manufacturing lines and unplanned equipment outages at a plant can cost thousands or even millions of dollars a day. Spot’s latest software release now has multiple, simultaneous inspection types built into the platform and an updated inspection configuration workflow that provides a seamless user experience that’s quicker and easier to use.

• Thermal inspection: A fully end-to-end thermal inspection workflow has been introduced. In addition to triggering Scout notifications when equipment exceeds pre-set ranges, users can now set up inspection actions to capture multiple regions of interest in a single photo, and post-inspection, there is access to more data.
• Gauge reading: With a gauge reading computer vision add-on provided by Boston Dynamics partner Levatas, Spot can inspect analog gauges, monitor trends through Scout and trigger alerts on abnormal readings, meaning analog gauges no longer need to be manually monitored or replaced with digital versions.
• Acoustic imaging: Acoustic imaging has also now been fully integrated using a Fluke SV600 payload.

Hardware and behaviour improvements

Some of Spot’s hardware has been improved and new robot behaviours added to change how Spot interacts with human teams on the ground.

• Hardware improvements: A new audio visual system is fully embedded into the robot and consists of safety lights located around the robot’s body, a safety buzzer and a speaker, to provide enhanced safety and awareness for people working near the robot in industrial settings. An e-stop button has also been added to the robot.
• Behaviour enhancements: Spot’s gait has been updated to make the robot safer in wet and slippery conditions. Moving object detection, when a Spot EAP 2 payload is attached, is now available using the payload’s LiDAR.

Beginnings of autonomous manipulation

Until now, Boston Dynamics has focused on simplifying manual manipulation tasks, where an operator uses the Spot Arm to interact with the world from a safe distance. Now for the very first time, some of those manipulation capabilities are available in autonomous missions.

The Spot Arm can now be used to open doors autonomously during Autowalk missions. Although this is still a beta feature, it will open up new inspection routes and allow Spot to move from room to room on its own, even in a completely empty facility.

Images: Supplied