Spot is here... but why?
The highly anticipated robot dog Spot has been featured in videos and industry events for a couple of years, and many of us have been awed by what Boston Dynamics have been able to create. It’s amazing to see how this robot can move around on its own, or controlled by an operator, or even remotely operated from another part of the world. But… what’s it supposed to do?
Unlike real dogs, Spot isn’t very social, and frankly it misses most of the features we appreciate in real dogs, so it will have to be put to work to be worth the cost. However, a robot has some benefits compared with humans:
It does not get bored and can therefore do repetitive tasks with high and consistent quality
It can do things that are unsafe for humans
IMAGE: Spot and dog-handler Anders Sand-Larsson.
VIDEO: Hear what Veidekke says about Spot:
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There are many benefits of Spot, particularly related to safety for people, autonomous repetition of tasks and increased flexibility in our operations, ensuring that we can perform more tasks with fewer people present.
Full article here >
- Øyvind Svaland, Veidekke
A use case for Spot
There is an increased demand for data from construction sites, and 3D Scanners are being used more and more frequently to give off-site project team members insight into progress, as well as detailed data that can be used for decision making.
Laser Scanners, like the Trimble X7, are easy to use and have a high degree of automation. However, until now it has required an person to place it in the field and carry out the scan. Althought the skill requirements to operate a scanner has been reduced, the fact that one need to be on-site for the task has put limits to the frequency of the scans, or there may be delays between the scan and the use of the scan data - and this is limiting the value of scanning since one cannot depend on always having up-to-date scan data.
Additionally, there are safety concerns in some industries, like mining, tunnelling or similar, which prevents or delays scanning.
By combining the Spot robot with a 3D scanner you get a solution that allows for the possibility to bypass these concerns and limiting factors and thus let the project team rely on scan data to give insight into the status of the construction site in morning meetings, or similar scenarios.
This «Autonomous Construction Data Solution» is essentially what the Trimble / Boston Dynamics collaboration are all about, at least as a starting point!
Three modes of operation:
Locally Controlled
Spot can be controlled with a remote control by an operator on-site. The operator can then put spot to work, e.g., at a site where access to the area that shall be scanned is dangerous for people. Or one can program spot for future operations when the operator is not on-site.
Remote operation
By allowing the scanner to be brought to the scan positions by a remote operator that are familiar with the task, one can avoid travel and never miss a scan opportunity, whether it is a routine afternoon scan, or an ad-hoc scan when the opportunity or need arise.
Autonomously
By setting up an Autonomous Mission, one can program Spot to repeat a set of scans automatically, e.g. during night, and thus fully eliminate the need for an operator for every scan!
Spot can carry out the scanning at multiple locations, upload all the data, and recharge itself during night.
Spot helps LNS make mining safer
As a contractor in mining and tunneling, maintaining safe operations is the no. 1 priority for LNS. However, increasing safety requirements puts business pressure on LNS, but it can also be an opportunity to innovate.
Summary of Benefits
All of the options deliver on the same value proposition:
100% safe operations for humans by using Spot to carry a scanner
More data with higher frequency through automation
Faster dataflow from the construction site to the project teams by not relying on availability of personnel on-site
This is an attempt at answering the question in the headline: “Spot is here… but why?”. The value proposition is clear and we believe that scandinavian contractors will put Spot to work in 2022! If you want to investigate how robotization can help your company - reach out to us!
VIDEO: Spot at Trimble User Days, May 2022 in Oslo
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