Hams Hall, UK. A four-legged robotic named “SpOTTO” lately joined the group at BMW Group Plant Hams Hall within the UK. The autonomous robotic canine scans the plant, helps upkeep and ensures manufacturing processes run easily. Equipped with visible, thermal and acoustic sensors, SpOTTO is deployed in various distinctive use circumstances: On the one hand, it collects priceless information for the plant’s digital twin; on the opposite, it serves as a watchdog, overseeing upkeep of manufacturing amenities. “Virtualization, automation and artificial intelligence are central pillars of the BMW iFACTORY,” explains Klaus von Moltke, SVP of Engine Production at BMW AG. “Bold, innovative application examples like those at Plant Hams Hall showcase the full range of possibilities.”

Fully linked digital twin: Big information on three ranges

SpOTTO performs a pivotal function in creating and refining the plant’s totally linked digital twin. The digital twin operates on three ranges: On the primary stage, 3D representations of your entire plant are generated. The second stage contains a big information layer into which the autonomous robotic canine, manufacturing amenities and IT methods on the plant feed all related info. On the third stage – the appliance stage – devoted programmes kind the info collected into understandable and traceable items. It is the mixture of those three ranges that makes the totally linked digital twin distinctive. Using apps, consultants at Plant Hams Hall can now consider and utilise this information. Application examples embrace high quality assurance and manufacturing planning. Dirk Dreher, Director of BMW Group Plant Hams Hall, is delighted: “Thanks to the digital twin, we have an enormous quantity of precise data and evaluations, as well as a real-time picture of production processes. The project team at Plant Hams Hall has created unique use cases for our four-legged friend and integrated him perfectly into our processes.”

A dependable upkeep watchdog

Thanks to its visible, thermal and acoustic sensors, SpOTTO is ready to carry out quite a few upkeep duties. For occasion, he screens the temperature of producing tools and instantly recognises if an set up is operating too sizzling – an early signal of potential failure. At BMW Group Plant Hams Hall, SpOTTO additionally specialises in figuring out leaks within the compressed-air traces utilized in manufacturing. Given that compressed air requires a considerable quantity of vitality, detecting leaks rapidly can decrease vitality consumption.

SpOTTO was created by Boston Dynamics with the product title “Spot.” It is a nimble robotic sufficiently small to make use of indoors, that climbs stairs and traverses tough terrain with ease. “Spot” was renamed SpOTTO at Plant Hams Hall – paying tribute to the heritage of the British engine plant. Gustav Otto was one of many founders of BMW and son of Nicolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke inside combustion engine. In 2023, greater than 400,000 engines had been produced at Plant Hams Hall, which, alongside SpOTTO, additionally employs about 1,600 individuals. Before SpOTTO’s introduction on the plant, a devoted group examined which actions the robotic canine could be appropriate for in a one-year improvement course of. Other potential makes use of are presently being trialled within the plant’s Technical Basement: These embrace studying analogue working controls or performing complicated sequences of actions that make the four-legged robotic even higher at accessing hard-to-reach areas of manufacturing. In addition to Hams Hall, different BMW Group vegetation are additionally presently testing using robotic canines.

Working with trusted companions

Marco da Silva, Head of Spot Product Development at Boston Dynamics explains: “The working environment at Plant Hams Hall is well suited for industrial inspections using a quadruped robot like SpOTTO. The robot can easily take over the completion of numerous, repeatable monitoring tasks so the plant’s maintenance team can focus on maintenance. We are proud of the way the robot has been integrated into the plant.”