Chevron deploying robotic dogs for inspections

Chevron deploying robotic dogs for inspections

USA

SAN RAMON, February 22, 2024 – Chevron has collaborated with robotics player Boston Dynamics to deploy robotic dogs at its facilities to collect data and aid in inspections, the US energy giant said on Tuesday.

The dogs, known as Spot®, conduct patrols of refineries and other facilities, collecting and analysing data, which Chevron says can then be used to “hint at potential issues” and aid in employee decision-making.

 

Spot was first trialled in 2022 at the company’s El Segundo Refinery in California.

In January, Chevron unveiled its use of real canines in an innovative programme in which the dogs are deployed to sniff for tiny pipeline leaks, with success in detecting leaks as small as a pinhole.