Combine Robots and Drones for Data and Compliance

Makes much sense.   Have recently been following the usage of how drones and directed robotics are opening up data availability in the time and space dimensions.   And here also in the dimension of compliance.

Insurers Increase Investments in Drones, Robots  By The Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2021

International Data Corp. (IDC) predicts that the insurance industry will spend approximately $602 million globally on robotic systems, including drones, this year, rising to $1.7 billion in 2025.

IDC's Patrick Van Brussel said, "All these technologies are about augmenting the capacities of the so-called knowledge workers." Travelers Cos., United States Automobile Association, and Farmers Insurance Group are among the big insurers that used drones to inspect property damage from Hurricane Ida.

Farmers also plans to roll out a robotic dog, Boston Dynamic's Spot, to inspect catastrophe damage.

Said Farmers' Samantha Santiago, "Spot gives us the ability on the ground to see what's ahead of us. Things that may be difficult for an adjuster to see."

Travelers' Jim Wucherpfennig  said drones make it possible to write damage estimates and pay claims faster.

From The Wall Street Journal  

Spot Robot Dog Gets an Upgrade

Considerable look from Venturebeat on the Boston Dynamics Robot Spot:

Boston Dynamics has just released the latest update for its famous quadruped robot Spot, giving it better capability to make inspections and collect data without the need for human intervention.

Called Spot Release 3.0, the new update adds “flexible autonomy and repeatable data capture, making Spot the data collection solution you need to make inspection rounds safer and more efficient.”   ... 

Though it has been strongly criticized for anything that looks like it might support police.  Not that we want to be any safer.   And Boston Dynamics is suggesting it will not be configured for home use any time soon.  So it remains as they say an expensive niche device for industrial inspection, tracking and protection.  

A Look inside Boston Dynamics Workshop

Impressed by some of the videos from inside Boston Dynamics,  and some of their agile and assistive designs that have obviously broad applications.  Here is some more:

Robot specialist Boston Dynamics offers rare look inside its workshop  By Trevor Mogg, March 28, 2021

Robot specialist Boston Dynamics has made a name for itself in recent years, building incredibly agile machines that can run, leap, somersault, and even pull nifty dance moves designed to give the best human hip-shakers a run for their money.

Its rare for Boston Dynamics to open its doors to anyone other than employees, but after “years” of asking, CBS’s 60 Minutes team was recently granted special access to the company’s Massachusetts workshop.

A video on the 60 Minutes website  features Anderson Cooper touring the workshop and meeting some of the personnel, including Marc Raibert, the founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics. ... '

Robots Dancing, Today

 From Boston Dynamics, now part of Hyundai.  At the link they outline each of the dancers backgrounds. Less scary than some views.  Or is it?