The set: Pompeii, daytime. On the stone-paved avenue, among ancient mosaics and the remains of patrician villas, a quadruped robot peeps out. Yellow and black, it moves with a sure step even on uneven pavement, a camera instead of eyes and a powerful spotlight to illuminate the darkest crevices. We are not on the set of a science fiction film, but in the heart of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, where a new supervisor has been on duty for a few days: it is Spot, the robot dog of Boston Dynamics.
Pompeii's robot Spot
Developed
by US-based Boston Dynamics, Spot is equipped with an autonomous, laser-based
scanner and a color camera with a 360-degree field of vision. It forms part of
wider technological experiments to help protect the archeological park. The
robot has been employed under the Smart@POMPEI project which “aspires to an
intelligent, sustainable and inclusive management of the Park [and] makes use
of an integrated technological solution,” according to park authorities.
The ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was destroyed in 79 C.E. after Mount Vesuvius erupted, is visited by millions of people annually. For years, tomb raiders targeted what remains of the city, digging tunnels underground to steal and traffic artifacts from its lavish homes, some of which date back more than 2,600 years. The tunnels have also helped excavators find new artifacts. But the authorities of Pompeii say many can’t safely be explored today because they could collapse — so they’ve brought in the robot dog to help.
Spot on its rounds
The goal is for Spot to walk around Pompeii autonomously, across bricks and dirt, at night and during the day, to monitor existing buildings for structural weaknesses and to assess the progress of restoration work and search digs, especially in areas that could be dangerous to humans. It can be accompanied by a flying laser scanner to capture 3D scans of the structures.
The flying laser scanner and Spot work together
In 2008, the Italian government declared a state of emergency over Pompeii, which it said was falling apart under the pressures of tourism, poor weather, mismanagement and neglect. In 2010, several of the ancient city’s key sites collapsed, prompting UNESCO to strike a deal with Italian authorities to jointly preserve Pompeii, which is one of about 1,100 sites on the World Heritage List.
Spot has night vision
Pompeii Archaeological Park Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel said the Pompeii Archaeological Park will try using Spot to inspect the illicit underground tunnels with the approval of Italian law enforcement, which has worked to stop the tombaroli, or tomb raiders, and recover the lost artifacts of Pompeii. These tunnels have been illegally excavated for years to steal fragments and relics from the ruins to be sold on to art traffickers.
“Often the safety conditions within the tunnels dug by grave robbers are extremely precarious, and so the use of a robot could signify a breakthrough that would allow us to proceed with greater speed and in total safety,” he said.
