"Watch the attendance of Boston Dynamics' Spot robot at Michelin."
The four-legged robot has been evaluated in various tasks at different companies.
Four years have passed since Boston Dynamics announced that its quadruped robot Spot was ready to perform in the workplace. Since then, Spot has been tested in various roles across multiple companies. It has participated in mapping factories for Ford, conducted safety inspections at a Kia plant, and carried out radiation studies for Dominion Energy. Its most recent application takes place at a Michelin facility located in Lexington, South Carolina, where tires and light trucks are manufactured.
A recent video from Boston Dynamics shows Spot performing various tasks in the plant as part of a pilot program. Wayne Pender, reliability manager at Michelin, shares his enthusiasm: "We were like kids on Christmas when we first got Spot." Pender and his colleague, Ryan Burns, emphasize the importance of anticipating equipment failures to prevent production downtime. Spot plays a crucial role by scanning 350 locations using a thermal camera to detect overheating or other operational issues.
Through software called Orbit, Spot processes the collected information and sends it to operators for evaluation. If an anomaly is detected, a human technician is notified to verify the situation before making decisions on possible actions to take. Burns highlights that having Spot perform these routes frees technicians from repetitive tasks, allowing them to spend more time on planning and problem-solving.
Burns also suggests that having more Spot robots in the facility could enhance inspection processes, resulting in greater efficiency and production. Boston Dynamics continues to refine Spot's capabilities through pilot programs and collaboration in the United States and beyond.