“Several hours a day, several operators will walk the
facility; read gauges; listen for noise that doesn’t sound
right; look out at the horizon for anomalies, boats that
may not be caught on radar; look for sheens,” BP facility
technology manager Adam Ballard explained. “What
we’re doing with Spot is really trying to replicate that
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Four legs, an attached arm, and a remote-controlled
body allow the droid to trot around, climb stairs, open
doors, pick up objects, and even dance. In September
2019, Boston Dynamics began leasing Spot to select
enterprises on a trial basis; by June 2020, the robotics
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$74,500.
I see robots as being the eyes, ears, nose, and other
senses at our sites,” Ballard said. “It’s about being able
to use sensors to have that real-time understanding,
and to get the context of the facility ... while minimizing
the exposure of people to these potentially dangerous
environments.”
Unlike a human, who has a limited capacity for
collecting data, remote-controlled Spot can pan, tilt,
zoom, and “really understand the entire area in real
conditions, real time,” Ballard added.
The robot will live and work on the rig for at least three
months, allowing crew members to acclimatize and
hopefully see Spot “less like a toy and more like a tool,”
Ballard said. This trial also gives BP time to practice
being robot parents, learning how to tune the droid to
various operations and determine its best uses.
Four legs, an
attached arm,
and a remote-
controlled body
allow the droid
to trot around,
climb stairs,
open doors, and
even dance.PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE (^) I DECEMBER 2020