Telexistence technology to assess robot in hazardous tasks

News

A Boston Dynamics quadruped robot is being fitted with telexistence technology that will allow researchers to assess the effectiveness of robotic assistance in hazardous environments.

The robot, part of the Spot range created by Boston Dynamics, is being put to work at the National Robotarium, which is based at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

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Experts at the National Robotarium will use Spot to carry out research into how robots can support humans in hazardous environments such as offshore energy inspection and disaster recovery.

The £60,000 robot will be fitted with so-called telexistence technology that will let humans experience an environment without being there, using devices like microphones and cameras to relay sounds and videos.

In a statement, Professor Yvan Petillot, professor of robotics and autonomous systems at Heriot-Watt University and co-academic lead of the National Robotarium, said: “Fitting this robot with our telexistence technology means we can carry out a range of experiments.

“We can test how the robot can help and support people working in hazardous environments, including oil and gas platforms and oil refineries.

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