Boston Dynamics, developers of the Spot robot dog and Orbit fleet management software, announced new features in its latest update of its two products.
Spot 4.1 “never stops learning new tricks” according to the company, and added features to Orbit aim to make the program work harder for customers.
Spot acoustic vibration sensing
Over 1,500 Spot robots have been deployed around the world to monitor industrial equipment for signs of failure, according to Boston Dynamics. The company says one of the biggest ways customers are realizing value with Spot today is acoustic leak detection - with typical customers seeing return-on-investment in two years or less. Operators collect data using Spot and the Fluke SV600 acoustic imager to perform predictive maintenance - avoiding unplanned downtime and reducing costly inefficiencies.
That’s why Boston Dynamics has added another capability to Spot’s toolkit: acoustic vibration inspection.
Manufacturing plants and logistics centers are full of conveyor systems and other rotating equipment - which in turn are full of thousands of bearings. These small parts are essential to keep equipment moving. Unplanned downtime has a massive financial impact, so catching signs of degradation early is crucial.
Now, Spot can perform ultrasonic inspections of rotating equipment using the Fluke SV600. This enables operators to detect early indicators of bearing failures before they cause a breakdown. Companies can capture more data without installing more inline sensors or requiring more contact sensors.
Spot can serve as a four-in-one tool to uncover maintenance priorities: from air leaks, to equipment running hot, to out-of-range gauges - and now, potential bearing failures.
Spot and digital twins with reality capture
Industrial facilities are dynamic environments where tracking change, predicting issues and planning for what’s next are persistent challenges. To manage this complexity, companies are building digital twins - living virtual models of a facility and its assets that reflect, predict and control the current state of their physical counterparts.
Spot already captures data about equipment health. Now, Boston Dynamics has added a laser scanning integration to Orbit that enables customers to plan reality capture missions in the same way they plan inspection missions. Customers can record missions using the Leica BLK ARC payload, then edit, schedule and monitor from Orbit. As missions are completed, they can process the data and continue working in their preferred software.
This 3D data supports factory design, equipment installation and change management, such as:
- Create a visual representation of an existing space to inform design of new equipment or production systems for a brownfield site
- Use models to plan pathways and identify potential clashes during equipment installation
- Onboard new employees by training them with reality capture data before they ever step foot on site
Spot supports increased capture frequency without increased costs. Unlike manual scanning methods, Spot performs routine, repeatable scans completely autonomously. And since missions are managed remotely from Orbit, companies have complete visibility and control without being on site.
Spot and the BLK ARC can also be used to document hazardous environments like underground mines from a safe distance.
Improved mobility, hardware for Spot
In addition to moving objects, Spot can now detect and avoid even more common hazards like carts, wires and ladders. This release improves how Spot “sees” the world by integrating visual semantic context to its navigation system. These improvements are only available with the Spot Core I/O.
This release also enhances Spot’s ability to navigate around objects in its path. Spot now perceives a wider area so it can identify more options for alternative paths when it encounters larger obstacles.
Lastly, Spot has always been able to climb stairs, but this release builds additional checks into its navigation system for even safer ascent and descent.
Hardware updates for Spot include:
- Tablet Controller Pro: The company has introduced a new set of joysticks for the tablet used to operate Spot. This custom set of joysticks offers a more ergonomic experience operating Spot, with a lightweight design, larger buttons and additional controls. It’s built to withstand challenging environments and tough tasks. Recessed joysticks are more protected from regular wear and tear and the ethernet cable locks into its port to avoid inadvertent dislodging. Battery life, Wi-Fi and radio range are all extended. And lastly, the company has enabled USB-C to HDMI data pass-through so you can easily mirror the tablet screen to nearby monitors.
- Extended operating temperature: The operating temperature of Spot and many Spot payloads including the Spot CAM+IR, Core I/O, EAP2 and GXP have increased to 55°C (formerly 45°C). Spot is capable of withstanding more extreme heat due to hardware changes. Payloads were tested at higher temperatures to validate performance in these conditions.
- Core I/O: Boston Dynamics upgraded the antenna on the Core I/O to improve range and reliability.
Orbit updates add features to software
Spot operators and asset managers use Orbit to manage their fleet of robots, view and analyze data and pipe that data into legacy systems. Together, Orbit and Spot surface urgent issues for today and deliver predictive intelligence for tomorrow. This release includes several updates that make integrating them into a customer’s world easier.
These updates include:
- Multi-docking: Customers can now support autonomous missions over longer distances by arranging multiple docks along Spot’s route. As needed, Spot can recharge at the nearest dock before continuing on its mission. Multi-docking enables large sites to extend the range of autonomous missions and maximize Spot’s inspection time since the robot is no longer confined to one docking location.
- Alert triaging: In addition to a new look to the Orbit interface, this release introduces new ways to process alerts in Orbit so customers can quickly surface critical issues where assets require attention and group, triage and dismiss alerts in a single click. Now, all active alerts are displayed in the Site Map until they are reviewed and cleared. Get details about each inspection with one click. Then, when appropriate action has been taken - like opening a work order in response to an anomaly - dismiss single point-in-time alerts or as a batch for each inspection. Have confidence that time-sensitive alerts are highly visible and that the data sent to downstream business systems is clean and usable.
- Faster deployment: The company has supported customers through thousands of deployments, bringing best practices into software features. In this release, Boston Dynamics made several updates to authoring workflows to streamline the deployment experience. Whether customers are planning missions on their own or with support from their team, they’ll notice a number of improvements to recording and testing processes.
- Orbit cloud availability: Cloud-based Orbit is now available in Australia, Brazil, EU, Korea, Japan, North America and Singapore (previously US only). This is the preferred deployment option for enterprises looking to scale quickly and integrate with existing SaaS products. Cloud-based Orbit streamlines deployment because it does not require installation of a physical server and it auto-connects to Spot via Wi-Fi or LTE. It also helps users stay current with optional in-app updates and enables flexible extension hosting options outside the confines of a physical server. If the cloud isn’t for you, Orbit can still be deployed on-premise via the Site Hub. Both versions offer the same visibility and control for the robot fleet.
All the new Spot and Orbit features are available now.
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