Robot Dogs are Used for "Patrolling" the Archaeological Park Pompeii

The four-legged robot dog is tasked with monitoring areas that are difficult for humans to reach safely.

Pompeii was an ancient Roman city that was completely buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79. Today, Pompeii is one of Italy's most popular tourist attractions.

In recent years, however, archaeologists, historians, and residents have complained about the poor management and conservation of the site. In 2008, the Italian government declared a "state of emergency" for Pompeii. A few years later, a series of buildings collapsed, including an old house once used by Pompeian gladiators. In 2013, Unesco warned that it would place "Pompeii on the List of World Heritage in Danger unless Italian authorities improve its conservation efforts".

It was not until last year when Gabriel Zuchtriegel was appointed director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, that the site began to consider the use of new technologies such as drones, sensors, satellites, robots, etc. to improve management and conservation. legacy.

In particular, Spot, a robot dog made by American company Boston Dynamics, can autonomously navigate difficult terrain and even monitor extremely confined spaces, while “collecting and recording data useful for research and intervention planning,” according to the park’s administrators. It said this would help to "improve the quality of monitoring in existing areas, while also keeping us informed of engineering progress in areas that are being restored, thereby improving the safety of the area and researchers."

The spot will also be used experimentally in underground tunnels dug by antique thieves over the years. Antiquities thefts have declined since 2012 when Italian police stepped up searches for cultural crimes, but Pompeii administrators still found tunnels in the area around the monument.

Spot can reach speeds of up to 3 mph, and has a 360-degree vision that helps it avoid obstacles. Photo: Pompeii Archaeological Park

"Usually the tunnels dug by tomb robbers are very dangerous, so using robots would be a breakthrough that would allow us to act much faster and in absolute safety," Zuchtriegel said.

Spot can reach speeds of up to 3 miles per hour and has a 360-degree vision to help it avoid obstacles. According to Mr. Zuchtriegel, Spot is the first technology dedicated to archaeological sites that has all the monitoring functions mentioned above.

In addition, the management board tested an aerial laser scanner with automatic 3D scanning on an area of 66 hectares. The collected data not only helps scientists study areas that may have collapsed after human arrival but also provides archaeologists around the world with the opportunity to study from a distance.