Cégep de Sept-Îles, ITMI acquire robot dogs for teaching and research

Cégep de Sept-Îles and the Institut de maintenance industrielle (ITMI) jointly announced the acquisition of two Spot robot dogs from Boston Dynamics. The robot dogs were developed to perform surveillance and inspection tasks in rugged terrain and will be used to support teaching and learning activities at the cégep. Additionally, researchers at ITMI will use the robots to research and develop improved mining maintenance processes. The Cégep’s Director of Studies Marie-Ève Vaillancourt said that Spot could also be used to benefit other programs and initiatives within the institutions, including a potential multidisciplinary research project in animal-assisted therapy. The Cégep reports that it is the first postsecondary institution in Québec to acquire this type of equipment for pedagogical purposes.