Hyundai Group ‘employs’ safety robot for factory

The robot will help detect risks and secure people’s safety in industrial sites. Photos: Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Group has introduced a robot that will play the role of a security guard and safety monitor at one of the Group’s plants in South Korea.

The robot is based on Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot, Spot, with applied artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous navigation, teleoperation technologies, and computing payload (AI Processing Service Unit) developed by the Group’s Robotics Lab for the Robot’s usage in various industrial tasks.

“The Factory Safety Service Robot is the first collaboration project with Boston Dynamics. The robot will help detect risks and secure people’s safety in industrial sites,” said Dong Jin Hyun, Head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Lab. 

“We will also continue to create smart services that detect dangers at industrial sites and help support a safe work environment through continuous collaborations with Boston Dynamics.”

With an integrated thermal camera and 3D LiDAR, the Robot is able to detect persons around.

With an integrated thermal camera and 3D LiDAR, the Robot is able to detect persons around it, monitor high-temperature situations and potential fire hazards, and perceive whether a door is open or closed. 

The Robot can be remote-controlled through a secure webpage that provides a livestream of its movements around the plant, enabling office personnel to remotely observe industrial areas. 

You can check it out in action here, but what we want to know is can it dance or do parkour, like some other robots created by Boston Dynamics.