Mechanical mutt is Metro Tunnel's best friend

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Metro Tunnel Project crews have been joined by a new 4-legged friend in an innovative construction trial that is a Victorian first for infrastructure projects.

Spot, an autonomous robot dog about the size of a Labrador, has been using its cameras and laser scanner to document progress in the twin 9km tunnels to assist our crews with the critical fitout stage of the project.

Designed as a co-worker for construction projects, Spot has autonomous navigation with 360-degree vision and can safely move around complex underground tunnels and platforms – it can even walk around people and obstacles. Spot can perform the same actions in exactly the same way and at exactly the right time, every time, meaning consistent and accurate results.

On the Metro Tunnel, Spot has mapped progress by capturing data throughout the tunnels to verify what has been built is consistent with detailed plans. This helps streamline the routine tasks our construction workers perform, such as tunnel inspections – getting the job done more efficiently, while increasing accuracy and improving safety.

Metro Tunnel