Hyundai has completed a deal with Boston Dynamics that allows it to have a controlling interest in the latter. But at that time hardly any was aware of the grand plan of the Korean automotive giant. The company has wanted to use Boston Dynamics’ technology for various purposes. The company has already started putting existing robots to work. Hyundai has started deploying these robots, also called Spot, at a Kia Manufacturing plant in South Korea. Named as ‘Factory Safety Service Robot,’ Spot will be used as a tool to make sure that workers at the factory feel safe. This is the first time when Spot robot is being used under public collaboration since Hyundai acquired a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics.
The images of Spot that are available clearly show that it looks different from those that people saw in past clips. This is because of the reason that the company has outfitted it with several things including a thermal camera, LiDAR, and some other features required to handle additional AI tasks. These robots will be capable of detecting people, keeping a tab on temperatures, and even check for fire hazards. The most important feature is that factory personnel will have the freedom to monitor the robot remotely. They will also have the option to take control of these robots if they feel that any specific area needs to be monitored more closely.
Hyundai said that these robots have been specially equipped for safety inspections. In other words, the robot used by the carmaker is a modded-up version of Spot. The company wants to start the trail of these robots close to home. This will help the company understand what changes need to be done in order to make these robots more useful. Hyundai’s Dong-Jin Hyun said the company would continue to create smart services in collaboration with Boston Dynamic. The companies want to make Spot capable of handling securities on its own in the future.
