The Austrian power plant Simmering already has a different employee – a robot, affectionately called by his colleagues Energy Dog. This is the first robot dog of its kind in Europe to be used in the regular operation of the power plant and will report faults autonomously there. The robot is already circling the site of the power plant, but is still in training mode and is fed with knowledge by experts to learn how the systems work in normal mode. From the spring of 2023, it will be used 24 hours a day to help secure electricity for more than 800,000 households in Vienna.
The energy dog learns from his fellow people, provides valuable knowledge and makes daily work easier and safer for employees. With the help of artificial intelligence, they get rid of routine activities and focus on complex activities and problem solving. Future routine tours of the plant will be taken over entirely by the Energy Dog. It will not replace any employee, but will only provide high-tech support. The energy dog is equipped with a number of special cameras and sensors, including a thermographic camera, as well as an acoustic sensor and a sniff sensor.
The digital assistance system inspects the facility for about 90 minutes and detects potential sources of danger at an early stage, such as a gas leak. In difficult situations, it will no longer be necessary for people to enter the danger zone, but they will be able to use the dog to safely and accurately identify faults and then resolve them.
The research project is funded by the Innovation Fund of the Vienna Municipal Utilities.
