Boston Dynamics’ Spot Enterprise robot stole the show at Mining Indaba 2022, where it illustrated how technology can be used to address various issues in the mining industry.
An unusual canine spotted at Mining Indaba The robotic dog was a major attraction at Mining Indaba 2022
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pot Enterprise is an agile mobile robot designed to navigate all types of terrain, allowing organisations to automate routine inspection tasks, capture data securely and safely, and drive streamlined operations in complex and dangerous environments. This new development is equipped with Maestro’s industrial internet of things (IIoT) gas sensor, which can be operated on mine sites to detect hazardous gases like carbon monoxide, without putting mining and ventilation teams in danger. Teams will easily
be able to add different gas sensors on to Maestro’s connected Zephyr Air Quality Station, capturing critical environmental data to proactively identify gas or temperature concerns. “We are excited to share our new best friend Spot and its amazing capabilities with the delegates of Mining Indaba and the global mining industry. In the spirit of technological collaboration, we have assembled the world’s best mining technologies to be on the stand with us to share and conceptualise end-to-end solutions for maximum impact for our mining clients,” said Jamie van Schoor, CEO of Dwyka Mining Services. During Mining Indaba, various experiments were done using a series of partner payloads. A number of devices can be attached to Spot to extend the robot’s ability to capture and process data, acting as remote sensing devices that allow Spot to hear, see and smell in a virtual capacity. As part of Spot’s introduction to the mining fraternity, delegates walked a mile with Spot from the V&A Waterfront to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) to benefit the NSPCA. This 1.6 km walk started at Nobel Square in the V&A harbour, where Spot was sent on his way by Nobel prize winners like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, streaming live content all the way to the CTICC. On-board processing capabilities Using the Spot Enterprise on-board processing capabilities, the data is shared over Wi-Fi. Gas and temperature sensor readings are captured while the robot is in operation and displayed in real time via the MaestroLink application. With the addition of a SLAM scanning unit sensor, like the Emesent Hovermap, readings can be saved with precise coordinates in a high-fidelity point cloud that can be exported and examined in a variety of mining software packages. “Spot is an amazing platform with almost unlimited applications. The ability to get live environmental monitoring data ‘on the go’ by extending our remote-sensing capability to ‘smell’ for hazardous
