SPOT the robodog struts through the ruins of Pompeii, keeping an eye out for trespassers. It’s also gathering data on the structural integrity of the site.
A four-legged contraption is now patrolling the ancient city of Pompeii. SPOT is the invention of the U.S.-based robotics firm Boston Dynamics.
The robodog struts through the ruins of Pompeii, keeping an eye out for trespassers. It’s also gathering data on the structural integrity of the site.
Pompeii and its sister city, Herculaneum, were destroyed in 79 CE – nearly 2,000 years ago – by a cataclysmic eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius.
Because it happened so quickly, parts of the towns were sealed off by volcanic debris. That’s made them fertile sites for modern day historians of ancient Roman times.
It’s also made the ruins attractive to illegal relic hunters. That’s where SPOT comes in.
The robotic canine guard also has eyes in the air, thanks to a Leica drone.
Researchers hope these very new technologies will help them learn more about life in a very old place.
