Boston Dynamics showcased a promotional video of a Spot, a four-legged sensing robot, being trialed underground at Kidd Creek copper mine in Northern Ontario. The robot was used for safety inspection-related tasks.
The legs allowed the robot to get closer to what the operator wanted to see than comparable wheeled or tracked solutions used in the mine, the miner reported. “There is nothing that compares to the way Spot steps or moves around objects, loose ground and other types of material,” said Iain McKillip, manager, mine technical services, Kidd Operations.
The video showed the yellow robot dutifully marching through puddles, scaling muck and dodging barriers.
Spot also differed from the other solutions in its endurance, McKillip said. “Having a tool that can quickly and reliably get into everywhere that we need to get information and bring it back to us is invaluable to our business.”