Boston Dynamics’ robot dog patrols 1.5 million-square-foot factory

ST Engineering MRAS has deployed Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot, Spot, to autonomously inspect critical equipment and capture high-resolution 3D scans within its expansive 1.5-million-square-foot aerospace manufacturing facility. Spot’s inspections utilize thermal cameras and acoustic sensors to detect equipment issues such as overheating, abnormal vibrations, and air leaks, particularly in high-risk machinery like autoclaves. This autonomous monitoring addresses previous challenges where manual inspections were often skipped due to urgent repairs, thereby enhancing safety, reducing downtime, and enabling predictive maintenance through a growing database of equipment health data. In addition to inspections, Spot is integrated with Leica’s BLK ARC laser scanner to create a detailed digital twin of the factory. This digital model aids in planning equipment relocations, facility upgrades, and maintenance, saving significant time compared to traditional multi-person scanning operations. The robot’s routine scanning missions provide a time-stamped record of the factory layout, which is especially valuable given the plant’s 95-year history of undocumented modifications