How A Robot Dog Is Changing The Future Of Construction Safety

Can Technology Really Make Construction Work Easier, Safer and Even More Fun?

Boston Dynamics – an American engineering and robotics design company, believes so. The company has built several robots, and this article will focus on their impressive creation named Spot. Spot is accomplishing all three of those goals in a variety of industries, construction being one of them.

What Can Spot Do?

Spot – a dog robot, is a highly advanced machine that is capable of navigating both environmentally tough terrain and the indoors. This robot can handle stairs, crouching under obstacles and even avoid them if you accidentally steer Spot towards one. The robot can complete site monitoring, take thermal readings, detect anomalies, and send all the data back remotely.

Spot comes with some really cool features, too:

• Mobile manipulation
• 3D vision system with SLAM and obstacle avoidance
• Omni-directional walking and multiple walking and trotting gaits
• Bioinspired dynamic control
• human operated or autonomously
• Operating in environments -20C to 45C

Check out Spot in action:

How is Spot Going to Keep Construction Workers Safe?

The answer is very simple – by conducting automated routine inspections and capturing site-specific data. Spot comes with an unbelievable camera that can even zoom in while being remotely controlled from anywhere in the world. Spot has the ability to walk pre-programmed routes or be controlled by a joystick.

This allows workers to check all areas from a completely safe space and see any hazards that exist on their site. Knowing what hazards exist prior to the job starting enables proper documentation and control measures.

Furthermore, the latest addition to Spot is a robotic arm attached to its back. This new feature gives Spot the ability to open doors, grab levers to turn things on and off, and even carry/ move debris.

The ability to dispatch Spot into high risk areas instead of sending valuable and vulnerable human employees is paramount.

The Future of Construction Safety is Here

Watch how Spot navigates a construction site:

The future of safety is always evolving, and Spot is an innovation that continues to push the boundaries. Although not as sexy as a dog robot, SafetyHQ is also working to revolutionize the construction safety industry. We are always evaluating new technologies, such as Spot, and are actively working to integrate them into our products and services.

To learn how we can help your company create safer job sites and become more efficient, book a demo now!