Drivers on the M5 motorway, which runs from Birmingham to Exeter across the Channel, may be surprised by a Spot robot dog monitoring the road. Perhaps one day they will accompany the French agents of the DDE.
If you drive around our British neighbors in the coming weeks, perhaps you will come across a Spot robot dog from Boston Dynamics? National Highways, the company that operates major roads in the United Kingdom, recently deployed the small Spot on the M5 motorway in the county of Somerset, in the southwest of the country. Its objective is to collect information in places that are more dangerous and difficult to access for human beings.
The Spot robot dog, safer and less expensive than humans
The Spot canine robot has recently been tested along the M5. By covering the kilometers, it explores the most dangerous areas, to offer a real alternative to human inspections, necessarily more dangerous and less profitable, to manage traffic.
Spot’s “dog’s eye” allows you to capture data on steep sections, in mounds or under bridges. National Highways is also considering integrating it into its daily work, to reduce the time employees are exposed to potential risks, including possible drivers. However, some fear that in the long term, innovation will push the company to part ways with some of its employees.
The British road management company still hopes to minimize the need to send people into potentially life-threatening environments and situations. The robot’s ability to perform on various terrains and in all weather conditions makes it a versatile ally. And the first tests carried out would be particularly encouraging.
Soon, Spot robots everywhere along the roads?
The technical director of the geotechnical team for the south-west of the National Highways network, Guy Swains, is in any case happy with this progress. For him, it even encourages optimism. Spot’s results will undoubtedly influence the future use of robots, via subcontractors, for surveying work for example.
With encouraging test results and continued collaboration with multiple partners in the country, Spot could quickly become a key player in improving the efficiency and safety of road infrastructure across the Channel. But can you imagine one day roaming the French roads and highways? Progress seems to be doing its work.
Source : BBC
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