An Elders FarmFest exhibitor's robotic dog, worth $150,000, is using advanced technology to improve worker safety.
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Brisbane-based SITECH Construction Systems used the Boston Dynamics robot to demonstrate the capabilities of their advanced surveying technology to thousands of attendees at the three-day event held in Qld last week.
SITECH Construction Systems representative Matt Wells said the dog was set to revolutionise the surveying industry in a big way when it came to safety.
"The big drawcard for these types of things is being able to send a dog into places we don't want to send people, if we've got to do scanning in places people can't," he said.
"The dog can handle that and really push that boundary of safety when debating whether to survey a site or not."
The dog contains advanced robotic technology, including built in intelligence and multiple LiDAR cameras, that enables it to accurately and easily access sites, which are then surveyed using Trimble Construction systems.
"We essentially use the dog as a payload carrier," he said.
"We can stick things like LiDAR scanners and photogrammetry scanners on the back that we can use to survey with."
The dog retails for $150,000, with additional surveying systems beginning at $90,000.
Mr Wells hoped Elders FarmFest would introduce the robot to a broader market.
"There's not a massive uptake on them just yet because it's a very new piece of technology, and I think people get a bit scared of that," he said.
"It's a very niche part of what surveyors do, but it definitely has its place."
