An actual, real-world use for robot dogs

At a pumped storage plant in western Austria, a company called Energy Robotics is testing robot dogs for inspection. All the fancy Boston Dynamics publicity stunts aside: are the robots actually useful? ■ As ever: this is not an advert, Energy Robotics and illwerke vkw had no editorial control. They just asked "do you want to fly your drone inside the Obervermuntwerk II hydroelectric power plant to film a robot dog", and of course I immediately said yes.

(you can find contact details and social links there too)

[Usaman]

The fact that the only mobile thing in that entire massive facility is a tiny robot dog that gets up every day to inspect is absolutely hilarious.

[AreadyDead]

I love how Tom always allows whoever it is he's interviewing to talk freely without interruptions, then adds his piece afterwards

[cabbageman]

Seems like a stealth game level, where you have to shut down the powerplant without being spotted by the robot dog.

[Dingoh]

The fact that the only thing moving around in that entire massive facility is a robot dog that gets up every day to inspect is giving me such Wall-E vibes

[Opus]

"This isn't a dangerous site. They let me in after all."

Tom 'Danger' Scott

[nrub]

I have to admit, that seeing a huge, operating facility, with autonomous robot being the only thing overlooking its operation on site, is something else.

[energyrobotics]

It was an absolute pleasure working with Tom Scott and showing him our autonomous inspection solution. Thanks Tom, for the superlative video. It's a great push for our mission to prevent humans from being deployed in dangerous environments.

[MikkoRantalainen]

"This isn't a dangerous site. They let me in after all."
I'm imagining scene where the dog opens the front door.

[jonathanhopkins]

This feels like a scene setup for a sneaking video game where you avoid patrolling sentry robots.

[jerrylim]

the dog is literally just making sure it's oversized charger isn't damaged.

[MWSin]

Imagine that you're trying to find a new job after being replaced with a robot dog, and your prior experience is "drove to dam every few days to make sure it's still there."

[cjeam]

“Open the overflow valves! The valley is going to flood!”

“I’m sorry Dave, I can’t do that.”

[lizzam]

I always love when an industrial environment is spotless clean like this.

[web-cafe]

This is a lot like a video-log you'd find on a PC in a post apocalyptic video game, explaining why there are angry robot dogs in the dam trying to kill you.

[ShortHax]

Before: The dog ate my homework
Now: The dog did my homework

[Phataku]

This also gives authors a way to explain why the lights still work in a future dystopian setting where humanity is nearly extinct. Vestigial robots, continuing to follow their programming completely autonomously.

[EDoyl]

I remember learning about (the at-the-time future uses of) robots in school, it was all bomb defusal, radiation, and collapsing buildings. "It's just inconvenient to drive here" is a new robot application that I don't think anyone expected.

[mjlagrone]

The good thing about robotic inspections over people is they don't get bored and get sloppy gathering data, the just do their job and do it the same every bloody time. When you want to watch for slowly evolving trends, having good repeatable data is awesome.

[ronaldscott]

The movie “Silent Running” with Bruce Dern, was released in 1972. A futuristic Sci-Fi that included autonomous walking robots performing mundane tasks. Almost fifty years on, here we are!

[Keithguy]

200 years after the apocalypse, desperate survivors break into an abandoned powerplant for shelter. The settle down thinking themselves safe for a moment, before a quadrepedal robot casually strolls past, takes a photo, then carries on its route.