Mace, a global consultancy and construction company, has partnered with Heathrow Airport to deploy Spot the Dog – a quadruped from American robotics firm Boston Dynamics.
The companies brought in the dog – named ‘Dave’ – to improve efficiency and safety on major construction projects around the site.
The bot is equipped with a Trimble X7 scanner, which it can use to provide 3D laser scans during the work currently being done on a 1960s cargo tunnel at the airport. Mace is leading this project, which involves the upgrade of aging mechanical and electrical services to bring them up to modern regulations.
‘Dave’ was selected after a competition was held to choose a new name for the bot.
The robot dog allows the project team to safely retrieve data from the building site, which is then used alongside 3D models and augmented reality to track accuracy and progress on the construction work.
What’s more, the bot was designed to improve employee safety during construction by reducing the number of trips, slips and other accidents – which is especially important in hazardous, dark and slippery environments.
The pair also report that efficiency on-site is improved though the bot’s quick and accurate scans.
Mace claims to be one of the first construction firms to adopt this technology in the UK and, if the trial is considered a success, the company has said it will look into extending the technology across other major construction projects around the UK.
Mark Reynolds, group chairman and chief executive of Mace, said: “The introduction of our new robot colleague, Dave, at Heathrow is a fantastic demonstration of the future of our industry.
“Robots will never replace people in construction – but this pilot shows how they have the potential to drive greater efficiency, capture records digitally and improve safety and delivery.
“Passengers at Heathrow may never notice the difference – but hopefully they’ll be pleased to know Dave is working round the clock to make sure the airport runs as smoothly as possible in the future.
“The introduction of new technology is helping us collect important as-built data, whilst keeping our people safe in difficult locations, allowing them to focus on planning and delivering our projects more effectively.”
Mace reports that it has worked with Heathrow Airport for 30 years to delivering major projects and infrastructure upgrades.
