A Boston Dynamics’ autonomous robot dog, named Spot, is being used to carry out geotechnical surveys across locations in the South West.
The four-legged robot has been employed in its first trial on the M5 in Somerset, using cameras and a Leica lidar tracker.
The trial is being carried out by National Highways, alongside BAM Ritchies and AECOM.
National Highways said it expects the remote technology to provide a higher level of detail and that it provides a safer and cost-effective option for inaccessible areas.
The dog’s eye view is being employed to capture data remotely in difficult-to-reach locations and across terrains including steep-sided embankments and natural slopes, slopes obscured by vegetation, culverts, and under bridges and other structures.
The move follows new standards set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges and efforts to reduce the frequency of physical walkover surveys by inspectors.
Guy Swains, engineering manager within National Highways’ South West Geotechnical team, said: ‘The initial proof of concept testing has been encouraging and we’re now live trialling the robotic tool with a view to utilising it via our contractors in future survey work, particularly in locations which present challenges for our traditional methods.
‘Our structures team are currently working on renewing certain elements of the St Georges railway bridge between junctions 20 and 21 of the M5 and identified a number of geotechnical defects in the ground surface.
'We were brought in to look into the detailed visual inspection and felt it provided an ideal opportunity to give Spot its first run.’
BAM Ritchies business development manager Matt Ewing said: 'Technology can keep our people safe and repeatedly capture high-quality data, and having Spot undertake these trials demonstrates capability and evidence for further trials while making efficiencies in the delivery of work today.
'It’s about finding the right applications, and the team is focused on realising Spot’s potential.'
AECOM has been working to ensure the trials are robust, accurately reflecting the constraints of the highway corridor and aligning with operational needs and the geotechnical inspection requirements of the DMRB.
James Codd, the firm’s associate director of ground engineering, said: ‘We are working closely with the teams and really believe there could be a permanent place for Spot in the geotechnical asset management toolkit.’
National Highways has published a video of the trial.
