Boston Dynamics expands global sales of SPOT robot, now available in the EU

O-Mag
SPOT by Boston Dynamics.

Boston Dynamics, the global leader in mobile robotics, expanded commercial sales of Spot, the agile robot that climbs stairs and traverses rough terrain with ease, to the European Union, United Kingdom and Canada. This follows the launch of commercial sales of Spot in the U.S., and builds upon a successful Early Adopter Program that saw a number of companies in both Europe and North America integrate the robot into their operations.

Since first becoming commercially available in September 2019, a number of domestic and international companies leased Spot and integrated the technology into their business operations. Demand for the robot has surged with increasing requests from European countries following Spot’s commercial sales in the U.S. in June. Examples of applications where Spot has been leveraged in Europe include:

  • Internationally-renowned architecture firm Foster + Partners used Spot to enable real-time construction monitoring of their Battersea Power Station project in London.
  • Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, enlisted Spot to improve efficiency and reliability of their industrial operations through remote sensing and inspection of a thermal exhaust treatment plant.
  • Kvaerner Stord leveraged Spot to test automated tracking and management of 100,000 assets in surveying its 200,000 square meter shipyard through visual asset tracking technology, computer vision, and 360° imagery.

Designed to go where other robots can’t go and to perform a broad number of tasks, Spot can be used to automate documentation of construction progress, monitor remote or hazardous environments, and provide situational awareness in remote settings. The robot can be reconfigured for various use cases, with a modular platform that is customizable. Spot can be outfitted with a number of accessories known as payloads to increase efficiency and greatly reduce safety risks in the workplace.

Boston Dynamics payload offerings include cameras to add improved awareness and inspection abilities, additional ports for easy integration of third party payloads, computers which can be programmed to run on-board analysis of data collection, and LIDAR to expand the base system’s perception and enhance autonomy. While the robot comes with a standard year-long warranty, users can choose to add Spot CARE to their purchase to receive extended coverage along with expedited repair services and free hardware upgrades.

“Boston Dynamics’ expanded sales territory reflects both a growing demand for Spot’s agile, versatile technology and a growing partner network within Europe and North America,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics. “This network is a critical component in properly supporting the needs of our customers and varying uses of Spot. As we expand our sales territory, we look forward to working with customers across the globe to help them integrate Spot into their operations to increase efficiency and safety and augment human labor for positive benefit.”

Boston Dynamics continues to work with a number of established partners in Canada and the European region that provide additional technology to support the varying needs of customers. A growing list of software and integration partners like Cognite, Energy Robotics, Clearpath Robotics and Reply expand Spot’s capabilities in a variety of environments, including power generation facilities, decommissioned nuclear sites, factory floors, construction sites and research laboratories. This expanded sales territory comes with Spot completing the CE marking process for assessing the mandatory conformity to EU Machinery, EMC and Radio Equipment Directives regulating industrial equipment sold within the European Economic Area (EEA).

Spot is intended for commercial and industrial use and is only available for purchase in the United States, the European Union, United Kingdom and Canada. Boston Dynamics prohibits sales of the robot to countries that are subject to ITAR or Export Control restriction by the United States. Spot will continue to be available for lease to customers in other international markets through the Early Adopter Program. All orders will be subject to Boston Dynamics’ Terms and Conditions of Sale which require the beneficial use of its robots.

SOURCE: www.bostondynamics.com/spot

Tags