The autonomous inspection drone developed by the Israeli company Percepto will soon be joined by a robotic four-legged friend on the ground. To this end, the company has raised a significant investment and has entered into a partnership with Boston Dynamics, the developer of robot dog Spot. The goal is that drone and robot dog can go on reconnaissance missions together.

Expansion

Percepto is one of the leading developers of autonomously functioning inspection and surveillance drones. The solution the company has developed includes a box from which a drone can take off to carry out missions. The system basically functions standalone, no drone pilot is required. From a control room, you can look along if the drone flies a security round or carries out an inspection.

Although aerial view images are sufficient in many cases, there are situations conceivable where it would not be wrong that there can also be a look on the ground. That is why Percepto wants to expand its Autonomous Inspection & Monitoring (AIM) platform with robots on the ground. First, Boston Dynamics robot dog Spot will be integrated into the system.

Spot

Spot is the first robot from the Boston Dynamics stable to become available for commercial purposes after years of development. The four-legged robot is able to independently scramble over difficult terrain. To view the surroundings and map out a route, the robot dog is equipped with a laser scanner and a 360º camera. The robot can be controlled remotely on a mission, where, just like the drone, you can watch live from a control room.

Holistic inspection options

One of the first customers to Being enthusiastic about the idea of using a robot dog in addition to a surveillance drone is the mining company ICL Dead Sea. “We look forward to investigating the integration of additional robots such as Spot on our site for holistic inspection opportunities that go beyond aerial inspections,” said a company spokesperson.

“Combining Percepto’s Sparrow drone with Spot creates a unique solution for remote inspections,” said Michael Perry, VP Business Development at Boston Dynamics. “This collaboration demonstrates the value of integrated robotics solutions when it comes to employee safety and cost savings for industries that address hazardous or remote processes.”