Case Study: Dominion Energy improves radiation survey consistency and reduces worker risk with Boston Dynamics Spot

Dominion Energy - Customer Case Study

Dominion Energy, a major energy provider, faced challenges with existing robotics for inspections at its nuclear facilities. Previous solutions, including a tethered crawler and limited-flight drones, were unable to perform autonomous, long-duration radiation surveys, which kept human workers in potentially hazardous environments. They partnered with Boston Dynamics to pilot the quadruped robot Spot to overcome these limitations.

The solution implemented by Boston Dynamics involved using Spot to autonomously conduct radiation surveys. The results were highly successful; Spot obtained more consistent and precise data than manual methods and completed 90-minute missions, removing employees from harm's way. This pilot demonstrated the robot's value for limiting radiation exposure and has opened the door to further use cases for Boston Dynamics' technology at Dominion Energy.

Dominion Energy

Joshua Bell

Nuclear Technology and Innovation Consultant