Boston Dynamics Spot learns new skills with 3.0 release

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Spot Release 3.0 adds functionality to make Spot the data collection solution you need for safer and more efficient inspection rounds. | Image credit: Boston Dynamics

Boston Dynamics enhances its popular Spot robot with the new Spot Release 3.0. This new release delivers flexible autonomy and repeatable data capture, and makes Spot more efficient to operate.

• Autowalk adds powerful new capabilities, enabling operators to record autonomous missions that implement dynamic sensing sitewide.
• Improvements to data capture making it reliable and easier to process.
• Plus a range of new features designed to enable new sensor payloads, along with other enterprise integrations to extract/exchange data.

Spot can be a great choice for an autonomous, mobile data gathering platform, especially in adverse environments. Boston Dynamics has invested thousands of engineering hours into optimizing the legged locomotion of Spot. As a result, Spot is capable of reliable operation in environments where wheeled AMRs struggle to navigate.

Since it’s release, Boston Dynamics continues to enhance the capabilities of Spot. Feedback from customers, and the experience gained from operating in difficult, industrial situations, is enabling the Spot development team to improve Spot’s capabilities. Spot 3.0 is purely a software upgrade and all existing Spot customers can benefit from the new features.

Improved autonomy for Autowalk

Spot’s Autowalk system has logged thousands of miles in industrial facilities and on construction sites around the world. Release 3.0 adds powerful new capabilities to Autowalk, enabling operators to record autonomous missions that implement dynamic sensing sitewide.

• Mission editing: Map an entire site by extending paths and adding new inspection Actions to existing missions over multiple recording sessions.
• Mission planning: Save time by selecting which inspection Actions you want Spot to perform, and it will take the shortest path to collect data.
• Dynamic replanning: Don’t miss inspections due to changes on site. Spot will replan around blocked paths to make sure it gets the data it was assigned to gather.
• Scheduled missions: Inspect a site after hours with simple scheduling tools and tablet-free, unsupervised autonomy.

More reliable data collection

Spot often operates in remote, un-supervised environment such as mines, construction sites and oil/gas production facilities. During a normal day, a Spot robot might patrol areas of a facility where there are not reliable network connections.

Release 3.0 makes data capture more reliable and easier to process. Users can connect computer vision models to Spot, adding valuable context to teleoperation and turning raw mission data into actionable signals at the edge.

• Repeatable image capture: Capture the same image from the same angle every time with scene-based camera alignment for the Spot CAM+ pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera.
• Live review of computer vision models: Use models from TensorFlow or choose a model from our API library to carry out inspection tasks such as gauge reading, thermal analysis, or acoustic anomaly detection. Preview computer vision models on the tablet and create smart Actions that process images within Autowalk.

Enterprise integrations

Spot closes the loop with enterprise systems to understand and manage operations. This helps teams to manage assets, detect anomalies sooner, track work, build digital twins, and more.

• Upload data: Automatically push data into enterprise systems at the end of a mission with custom code.
• Cloud-compatible: Connect Spot to AWS, Azure, IBM Maximo, and other systems with existing or easy-to-build integrations.
• Scout: Use Boston Dynamics’ web-based remote operation application to manage an entire dynamic sensing fleet, schedule missions, and review data collected on site.

Additional new features

Release 3.0 contains dozens of other features designed to help Spot become easier to program, troubleshoot and operate, while enabling dynamic sensing onsite.

• Payloads: Remotely restart payloads, easily configure payload parameters, and more.
• Manipulation: Remotely operate the Spot Arm with ease through rear Spot CAM integration and split-screen view. Arm improvements also include added functionality for push-bar doors, revamped grasping UX, and updated SDK.
• Sounds: Keep trained bystanders aware of Spot with configurable warning sounds.

For further details, check out the Spot 3.0 Release Notes on the Boston Dynamics website.