The Leica BLK ARC, now certified, transforms Boston Dynamics’ Spot into a cutting-edge reality capture tool.
- After a four-year collaboration, Leica and Boston Dynamics introduce software enhancements for the Spot robot.
- Users can now execute autonomous laser scanning with Spot, enhancing workflows without human intervention.
- The innovation allows for comprehensive site documentation, essential for asset management and BIM modelling.
- This partnership heralds advancements in digital twin creation with agile mobile robots.
Leica Geosystems and Boston Dynamics have reached a significant milestone with the certification of the Leica BLK ARC as the first reality capture device for Spot, the mobile robot. This achievement comes after four years of collaboration, during which both entities have focused on integrating sophisticated software functionalities to allow for seamless laser scanning workflows. As a result, users can initiate an ‘Autowalk’ inclusive of laser scanning in the Spot application, executing tasks autonomously, thus removing the necessity for manual oversight and intervention.
The newly integrated workflow is a stride towards enhancing the operational capabilities of Spot within Boston Dynamics’ Orbit robot fleet management software and the Spot app. This development enables users to stack and manage reality capture missions with Spot, consolidating its ability to function autonomously alongside varied payloads. The robotic dog can now document and capture site conditions effectively in diverse environments such as plants, warehouses, and other enclosed structures. This functionality is invaluable for infrastructure documentation, asset management, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and even fire investigations.
Operators benefit from the flexibility of choosing specific positions along a mobile scan path to conduct detailed static scans, adding another layer of precision and detail to the data collected. Once captured, both mobile and static scans can be exported along with panoramic images, facilitating team collaboration, data processing, and the comprehensive creation of digital twins. According to Tim Dykstra, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Boston Dynamics, this capability allows customers to enhance their data collection regarding equipment health and now, spatial data with unprecedented detail and accuracy using an already established workflow.
Simon Mark, Vice President of Strategic Innovation at Hexagon’s Geosystems division, emphasised the role of the partnership in accelerating the adoption of autonomous reality capture technology. He stated that the integration of their industry-leading technologies underscores a shared commitment to streamlining workflows, promoting autonomy in reality capture, and unveiling new applications for robotic scanning. The collaboration is aimed at simplifying the processes involved, thus paving the way for enhanced productivity and operational efficiency in industrial settings.
The integration of Leica’s BLK ARC with Spot marks a new era in autonomous reality capture and digital twin creation.
