After years of development, Boston Dynamics has launched its innovative Spot robot dog, now deployed across diverse industries. In a key collaboration with French startup Shark Robotics, they've created a highly mobile, efficient decontamination solution tailored for pandemic response.
Spot officially hit the U.S. market in mid-June 2020, following successful rental trials. It has supported police operations in Massachusetts and inspections on a Norwegian oil platform. As detailed in Boston Dynamics' October 7, 2020 press release, their partnership with Shark Robotics adapts Spot for decontamination amid the COVID-19 crisis (see video at article's end).
Robots are proving vital in disinfecting hospitals, train platforms, parking garages, and malls. In April 2020, Shark Robotics unveiled the Rhyno Protect Decon (RPD), capable of treating 20,000 m² in three hours, purifying 100 m³ of air per hour, and eliminating 99% of germs in one pass.
The RPD features a micro-spray system for liquid disinfectants on surfaces and a UV-C lamp for airborne pathogens. Boston Dynamics tapped Shark Robotics to adapt this module for Spot, yielding an autonomous, agile robot that accesses tight spaces beyond RPD's reach.
Shark now offers the "Spot anti-COVID-19" solution, effective across environments, decontaminating up to 2,000 m² in 15 minutes. It pairs seamlessly with RPD via remote control or autonomy.
Spot's pandemic role isn't new: In May 2020, a unit patrolled Singapore's Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, broadcasting messages to promote social distancing.
