Boston Dynamics Launches Robotic Fleet Management Platform

Boston Dynamics has launched a new robotic fleet management platform, dubbed Orbit, to help businesses manage and “unify” their robot ecosystems.

The company also announced a series of mobility updates to its robot dog, Spot, to enable greater ease of control.

“Orbit is your window into Spot’s world,” according to a company statement. “This powerful fleet management software means Spot’s repeatable measurements of running temperatures and acoustic anomalies are a click away, so you can identify trends and schedule corrective action.”

Orbit offers managers a control deck for operations, providing real-time and predictive intelligence into day-to-day activities, encompassing the assets and robotic fleets working within a site.

Boston Dynamics said the platform “grounds the digital in the physical,” overlaying real-time information about robots and inspections over a facility drawing. Users can access and monitor a robot’s locations and missions in real-time, as well as schedule activities and identify potential issues.

The announcement coincides with several updates to Spot’s controls, enabling greater ease of operation both autonomously and manually.

“First, we’ve made adjustments to manual controls that improve comfort and command,” a company statement said. “Touch-to-go now uses a hotkey to help you avoid undesired teleoperation.”

Related:ChatGPT Gives Boston Dynamics Robot Dog Personalities

Additionally, Spot can be sent to any dock or recorded location in a businesses’ site map without manual operation, allowing Spot to autonomously navigate to the desired location using the pre-loaded map. 

Finally, Boston Dynamics said it has “refined” how Spot interacts with its environment, navigating moving objects and stairs with greater ease than previously.