Hyundai struck a deal to acquire a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics in June. The Korean automaker undoubtedly has great ideas to incorporate the Massachusetts-based company’s technology into a number of its futuristic concept mobility cars, but for now, it’s all about putting current robots to work.
The drably-named “Factory Safety Service Robot” has arrived, according to Hyundai. For the sake of brevity in the announcement release, it began referring to the device as “the Robot,” and I’m inclined to do the same, because who has time to type out “Factory Safety Service Robot” a dozen times?
The Robot (see?) is simply a hacked-up version of Spot created for factory safety inspections. Naturally, Hyundai is starting small, with its first trial project taking place at a Kia facility in Seoul. The Spot, er, Robot, is equipped with lidar and a thermal camera that scan the space for hot spots, fire dangers, and open doors. If it detects a problem, it will send an alarm via a secure website. It can communicate real-time photographs and data and, like Spot, can function autonomously or be commanded remotely.
“The Factory Safety Service Robot is Boston Dynamics’ first collaborative project. In an announcement, Hyundai’s Dong-Jin Hyun stated, “The Robot would help detect dangers and secure people’s safety in industrial areas.” “Through ongoing collaborations with Boston Dynamics, we will also continue to develop smart services that detect threats at industrial sites and assist maintain a safe work environment.”
Overall, if you’re familiar with what Spot can accomplish, you’ll get the essence of Robot here, albeit with additional mounted sensors. Boston Dynamics unveiled new data collection features for the robot earlier this week.
“Factory safety service robots are the first Boston Dynamics partnership project. In the industrial field, robots help detect risks and safeguard people’s safety,” Hyundai Dongjin-Hyun said in a statement. Rice paddies “We also continue to work with Boston Dynamics to detect dangers in the industrial setting and develop smart services that support a safe working environment,” says the company.
