Help on four “legs”: From now on, the “Energy Dog” makes his rounds at the Wien Energie site in Simmering. We were allowed to pet him.
The “Energy Dog” doesn’t greet us with a wagging tail, but otherwise resembles a “real” woo-wow. We are talking about a robotic dog equipped with artificial intelligence, which is now on the move in the Simmering plant and autonomously reporting malfunctions. The four-legged friend has numerous sensors, including a thermographic camera, an acoustic and a sniff sensor.
Dog feels danger
The digital assistance system checks the system in approximately 90 minutes and detects potential sources of danger, such as gas leaks, at an early stage. When the guard dog senses danger, it “barks” loudly. This not only makes the daily life of the employees of the power plant easier, but also ensures greater safety at work.
“The ‘Energy Dog’ learns from its human colleagues, secures valuable knowledge and makes daily work easier and safer for our employees. In this way, they can focus all their know-how on complex activities,” explains Karl Gruber, General Manager of Wien Energie. The Simmering plant is the first in Europe to routinely use a high-tech robotic dog.
Robot dog is still in training
The smart four-legged friend is a research project financed by the innovation fund of Wiener Stadtwerke. The “Energy Dog” is currently still in training and is fed with knowledge by Wien Energie experts.
From the spring of 2023, the “Energy Dog” will then be in use 24 hours a day. The support on four legs costs about 200,000 euros.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
