JLR has added an unlikely new member of staff to its Coventry electric vehicle development facility – a robotic dog called ‘Rover’.
Calling the brand’s electric vehicle build and test facility its new home, Rover has been designed to act as a guard dog ‘of critical importance’ to spot ‘potential operational issues’ to ensure that the facility delivers the new Range Rover Electric on time.
Gonzalo Ejarque-Rinaldini, PhD Automation and Robotics at JLR, said: “Enabling our engineers to work safer and smarter, collaborations such as this one with Boston Dynamics are key. Not only are they essential in realising our ambition to electrify our Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar brands by 2030, they also have an important role to play in ensuring that the final vehicles that roll off the line have only the very best EV battery technology within them.”
JLR has also stated that it is looking to build up its fleet of ‘robot quadrupeds’ across its entire operation. The brand is set to launch its new Range Rover Electric shortly, while Jaguar is poised to introduce its new electric four-door GT car which aims to deliver a range of up to 435 miles from a charge.
