Ford began to use robodogs of Boston Dynamics at the plant

At the end of July, 2020 Ford began to use two Boston Dynamics robots who are quadrupeds of sobakopodobny legged robots weighing about 32 kg everyone. Robots should help the company to update the technical plan of one of the plants on production of transmission.

The Ford plants underwent a set of changes from the moment of initial construction, and now it is difficult to understand whether there correspond technology roadmaps of these buildings to real arrangement. The Spot robots capable to carry out laser scanning and visualization of surrounding space will be able to create very detailed and accurate maps which engineers of Ford then use for upgrade and retrofitting of an object.

Robodog of Boston Dynamics

Using Spot robots instead of people for mapping of an object, Ford hopes to receive several advantages. First of all, robots should save a significant amount of time as they replace labor-intensive process of installation of a support of the laser scanner in different points on all object and manual scanning of a surrounding situation. Spot robots make scanning on the run that allows to reduce time expenditure by 50%.

Robotic dogs are equipped with five cameras and laser scanners and are capable to work till two o'clock, moving with a speed about 5 km/h. The data collected by them can be synthesized for receiving broader overall picture. Besides, thanks to the small size and flexible navigation opportunities, robots can plot those areas of the plant which are not always available to people.

The pilot program includes two robots rented at Boston Dynamics. However if results satisfy Ford, the car maker can expand the program and cover bigger number of production facilities.^[1]

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