To take the Boston Dynamics' Spot to the next level Sphere Drones has been testing various integrations including the Persistent Systems MPU5 smart radio that will allow Spot to be controlled from over 10 kilometres away improving on Spots original control distance.
Sphere Drones CEO, Paris Cockinos shared:
Data, video, voice and a fully integrated Android computer makes the MPU5 a powerhouse for even BVLOS RPA operations! Range can exceed 10s of kms in primary settings and fall to alternative methods such as LTE should bandwidths drop below certain thresholds which opens up the thought of complete remote operations from a continent away.
How does it work?
The MPU5 smart radio from Persistent Systems connects to Spot via its Ethernet jack on its rear, hardwiring a MPU5 unit directly to Spot. The other MPU5 unit is then connected into Spot's controller via Ethernet as well. This is the simplest setup but the MPU5 can also be connected to a tablet, phone, and PCs for more advanced control of Spot. Once it's all connected Spot works just as if it was connected directly to its controller or device.
Why use the MPU5?
While Spot's built-in range is great for most use cases there are many that will benefit greatly from having Spot's range increased. A notable example of this would be a construction site safety walk. Rather than having to follow Spot around the construction site Spot can be controlled remotely from a safe location while still capturing all the data you need and having full control.
See the MPU5 in action
As a proof of concept, we have completed a quick test on camera, and off, to put the system to the test. So far it is working great, and we can't wait to test it more complex environments.
