Watch a Spot robot from Boston Dynamics explore an old mine
Researchers at the Colorado School of Mines think Spot could aid search and rescue missions.
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The ground is rocky and uneven. Old, rusted rails that used to carry loads of precious metals run the length of the path. Most wheeled robots would have trouble navigating this uneven surface, but it's not a problem for Spot.
"This is one of the most advanced robots in the world." Hao Zhang tells me. He's a professor at the Colorado School of Mines, and he's brought his department's new robotic dog from Boston Dynamics to the Edgar Mine outside of Denver for testing. The school is one of the first customers to buy a Spot robot since the four-legged machines went on sale this summer.
A handler guides Spot the robotic dog with a proprietary tablet controller.
Much of Zhang's work in robotics involves exploring ways robots can take over dangerous jobs from people, like searching for survivors in a collapsed mine or inspecting nuclear facilities.
"It's pretty amazing," Zhang said. "I have been working on robots for more than 10 years, and we've never had such a robot that is so well designed that it can do a lot of things just out of the box."
Watch the video above to see how Spot handled its first test-run inside the mine.