Tags: np2774
- Sustainability category: Safety and Health
- Key takeaways from article:
- Scientists at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh are using the four-legged robot ‘dog’ created by robotics design company Boston Dynamics as part of investigating how technology can help people working in hazardous environments.
- Using telexistence hardware, they are carrying out research into how robots can support humans in hazardous environments such as offshore energy inspection and disaster recovery. This is especially prudent due to the ongoing dangerous volcanic eruptions in the Congo.
- These robots are specially outfitted with sensors that can monitor a casualty’s vitals and transmit images and sounds back to a hospital. Additionally, they can cope in hazardous conditions like dust, rain, even and sulfurous air or radiation (see video in sources below).
- Further research is looking into how the robots can help support the construction industry by acting as virtual eyes on the ground. “Spot” will be set up as a moving data collector and data center, equipped with advanced telepresence solutions (and lidar – which uses light instead of radio waves), able to measure in real-time to multiple experts at once, all around the world.
3. Organizational stakeholders:
- Construction companies
- Civil engineers
- Offshore energy inspectors
- Hospital medical staff
- Disaster recovery units
4. Deploying the technology:
- Financing and procurement of the expensive robotic hardware (~USD 85,000) between multiple stakeholders.
- Feasibility studies on offshore energy sites and in disaster relief scenarios.
- Expansion of program and potentially looking into rental options by private industry or government.
Sources: Robot ‘dog’ could help experts gauge hazardous environments | E&T Magazine (theiet.org),
Robot dog sent into Chernobyl to sniff out radiation – Bing video
makeasmartcity 
Very cool, Noah, thanks for sharing! The application to offshore wind caught my eye. Accessing turbines for inspection can be very time-consuming and expensive so the idea of using technology to facilitate remote inspections is appealing! This would also help with environmental concerns of frequent, fast vessel traffic that could lead to collisions with endangered species like the North Atlantic Right Whale in Atlantic wind energy areas. Of course, conditions on wind turbines are somewhat challenging for robots, but it looks as though innovations like the iFrog may prove promising in this area. The iFROG is an amphibious robot that works in teams to clean and inspect monopiles above water level and up to 60 meters below the surface. belowhttps://www.innotecuk.com/amphibious-ifrog-robot-leaps-ahead-in-ability-to-inspect-and-maintain-offshore-assets/
Uni: kk3395
LikeLiked by 1 person