– We save a lot of time, says factory manager Johan Selmar at Veidekke.
The company he works for is the first in the country to use a robotic dog on a construction site.
The four-legged “Spot”‘s job is to document different rooms and identify dangerous situations.
There are many signs that the dog will become a more common sight in Norwegian workplaces in the future.
A robotic dog can become a keeper’s best friend
Curious about technology
The Mecatronics Innovation Lab in Grimstad confirms that Norwegian gamers are becoming more curious about how to use advanced technology.
There is a huge digital divide in Norwegian construction sites that must be bridged. But I think bots like Spot will be used more and more in the future, says Karian Ormeth, project manager at MIL.
These robots are among the most advanced robots money can buy in the world.
Ormseth says controlling Spot is as easy as controlling an iPad, and that makes it very user-friendly.
Used in dangerous places
Robotic dogs are designed to withstand hard surfaces, and can be sent to places that are dangerous to humans.
When a parking garage collapsed in lower Manhattan in April, police used a robotic dog to get a bird’s eye view of the building.
In Norway, this technology has been tested in connection with blasting work.
Abroad, robotic dogs are used to inspect nuclear power plants, for example, which require protective equipment for people entering.
We could envision the same thing in Norway, where it could be used in hydroelectric power plants or other places where there is a high risk of people getting in, says Urmeth.
This robotic dog can, among other things, acquire an arm that enables it to open doors and enter buildings on its own.
Photo: Kai Stockland/NRK
technology for the future
At the construction site in Kristiansand, the workers have so far had good experiences with their colleague Spot.
The robot dog can, among other things, scan the area at night.
He can also get a lever that allows him to open doors on his own.
– What do you want to achieve with Spot?
We hope we can provide better quality. After that, we hope to have a safer working environment where we can catch errors early, says plant manager Johan Selmar.
Since “Spot” is a pilot project, the potential for improvement of the robot dog is monitored and recorded.
– You will see this type of technology on most construction sites in a few years.
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