US engineering and robotics design company Boston Dynamics has released the latest iteration of its quadruped mobile robot, Spot, with added capabilities including flexible autonomy and repeatable data capture.
The 3.0 update represents more than a year of software improvements over Release 2.0 helps Spot do its jobs without human intervention. Most notably, it can dynamically replan routes – the robot’s inspection will reportedly go smoothly even if someone inadvertently leaves a large object or vehicle, such as a forklift, in the way.
The upgraded Spot can also handle human-free scheduled missions, and is smart enough to automatically plan routes when users choose the actions they want to perform.
Furthermore, the robot will help notice when something’s amiss. It uses scene recognition to capture photos at the same angle every time, and human inspectors can conduct live reviews of changes Spot notices with computer vision, such as gauge readings and heat changes.
“We’ve been working closely with Spot users in asset-intensive industries to operationalise the robot on their sites,” said Boston Dynamics in a blog post announcing the update. “With Spot Release 3.0, we’ve added flexible autonomy and repeatable data capture, making Spot the data collection solution you need to make inspection rounds safer and more efficient.”
Highlights from Spot’s Release 3.0 software upgrade include:
- Mission planning: Save time by selecting which inspection actions you want Spot to perform, and it will take the shortest path to collect your data.
- Dynamic replanning: Don’t miss inspections due to changes on site. Spot will replan around blocked paths to get the required data.
- Repeatable image capture: Capture the same image from the same angle every time with scene-based camera alignment for the Spot CAM+ pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera.
- Cloud-compatible: Connect Spot to AWS, Azure, IBM Maximo, and other systems with existing or easy-to-build integrations.
- Manipulation: Remotely operate the Spot Arm with ease through rear Spot CAM integration and split-screen view. Arm improvements also include added functionality for push-bar doors, revamped grasping UX, and updated SDK.
- Sounds: Keep trained bystanders aware of Spot with configurable warning sounds.
