Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Spot Can Herd Sheep

Boston Dynamics’ upskilled robot dog Spot will be released in partnership with the Rocos robot software platform. It will significantly expand the functionality of the dog-like robot, including allowing to perform remote missions and edit tasks depending on the situation.

The importance of autonomous robots was noted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many of them were used to maintain social distance, to clean public places and hospitals, and even to deliver vital medicines.

For example, Singapore does not prohibit solo walks in parks or jogging. However, as a measure of eliminating the spread of the COVID-19 disease, non-compliance with safe distance rules is punishable. Therefore, a robotic dog walks through the park and estimates the distance between people with the help of installed cameras. They also track the number of people in the park. Spot can pronounce a pre-recorded message stating that it is necessary to maintain a distance for the safety of others.

Also, a robot dog with a loudspeaker reminds others of the need to wash their hands.

The Rocos platform will enable the use of a four-legged robot dog to study unexplored territories, move around dangerous areas, collect data for three-dimensional visualization, as well as other information obtained using sensors.

At the beginning of testing, the US-based Boston Dynamics team navigated previously unexplored areas in New Zealand, gaining remote access to the robot via the Rocos web interface.

In the energy sector, Spot will help detect real-time anomalies, and in agriculture, farmers will be able to see yield assessment information.