Japanese construction company KAJIMA CORPORATION announced on February 20 that it has introduced a quadruped walking robot "Spot" developed by US-based robot manufacturer Boston Dynamics at the civil engineering site. The robot has been improved and it can walk without difficulty even on the roadbed in the tunnel.

The company plans to conduct tests of underground surveying work in tunnels and patrols for safety management in the future. It is also considering expanding the application to dangerous works such as surveying in steep landslide areas.

KAJIMA is working with SoftBank Corp. and SoftBank Robotics, which develops and sells service robots. In 2018, an experiment was carried out at a tunnel site in Kanagawa Prefecture. Remotely controlled Spot with a 360-degree camera photographed the tunnel face and inspected instruments such as a pump meter. SoftBank Robotics and Boston Dynamics confirmed the ability to walk on rough roads and improved the interface program, increasing its applicability to construction sites. Katmai says that by actively introducing various robot technologies, it aims to further improve productivity and safety.
(2020/02/21)