– We save a lot of time, says factory manager Johan Selmar in Veidekke.
The company he works for is the first in the country to use robot dogs on construction sites.
The four-legged “Spot”‘s job is to document the different rooms and identify dangerous situations.
There are many indications that dogs will be a more common sight at work in Norway in the future.
Robot dogs can be guard companions
Intrigued by technology
The Mecatronics Innovation Lab technology laboratory in Grimstad confirms that Norwegian players are increasingly curious about how advanced technology can be used.
– Construction sites in Norway have a huge digitization gap that must be overcome. But I think robots like “Spot” will be used more and more in the future, says Karianne Ormseth, project manager at MIL.
These robots are among the most sophisticated that can be bought in the world.
Ormseth says that “Spot” is as easy to control as an iPad, and this makes it very user-friendly.
Use in hazardous locations
The robot dog is built to withstand hard surfaces, and can be sent to places that are dangerous to humans.
When a parking garage collapsed in south Manhattan in April, police used a robot dog to get an overview inside the building.
In Norway, this technology has been tested in connection with blasting work.
Overseas, robot dogs are used to inspect, for example, nuclear power plants, which require personal protective equipment for those entering.
– We can envision the same thing in Norway, which could be used in hydroelectric power stations or other places where there is a high risk of human entry, says Ormseth.
Among other things, this robot dog can acquire an arm that allows it to open doors and enter buildings on its own.
Photo: Kai Stokkeland / NRK
Technology for the future
At the construction site in Kristiansand, workers have had a good experience so far with their counterpart, “Spot”.
Among other things, the robot dog can inspect the area at night.
It can also gain arms, which allow it to open doors on its own.
– What do you want to achieve with “Spot”?
– We hope to offer better quality. And then we hope to have a safer work environment so we can catch mistakes earlier, says factory manager Johan Selmar.
Since “Spot” was a pilot project, potential improvements to the robot dog were monitored and noted.
– You will see this type of technology on most construction sites within a few years.
“Music maven. Evil pop culture lover. Unapologetic creator. Friend of animals everywhere.”
