Robotic Spot Put to Work Shepherding Flocks

A collaboration between New Zealand-based cloud-based software platform Rocos and American robotics company Boston Dynamics, has been heralded as the future of farming, Luke Andrews reports for the Daily Mail.

The two companies have developed a robotic sheep dog called, Spot, which as well as shepherding stock, can also assist rural workers during harvesting, inspecting crop yields, and creating real-time terrain maps.

According to the Mail, the four legged machine can reach speeds of up to 4.8km/h and runs for 90 minutes before needing a battery change.

“The use of autonomous robots in agriculture is increasing the efficiency of food production,” Rocos said in a clip featuring Spot at work. “Robots, like Spot from Boston Dynamics, increase accuracy in yield estimates, relieve the strain of worker shortages and create precision in farming.”

David Inggs and Richard Stinear founded Rocos in 2017.

Original article by Luke Andrews, Daily Mail, May 20, 2020.