Robot dogs used to protect heritage sites like Yorkminster

According to historic England, if a disaster like the catastrophic fire in Yorkminster in 1984 was occurring at today's major heritage sites, robot dogs and drones could be used.

The lightning strike at Minster was believed to have caused a devastating flame that caused more than £2.25 million in damage.

Minster and historic England are currently working together to showcase the latest technologies that can be used in the wake of such disasters, including robots called spots that can be operated remotely to assess risk and damage.

John Bedford, from historic England, said, “Our robotic dogs and drones can quickly and safely enter potentially dangerous areas, providing detailed 3D models and images of what's going on inside.”

“Every minute is important when a disaster strikes a historic building,” he added.

According to historic England, spots created by US-based robotics company Boston Dynamics can balance knockovers, navigate uneven and rough terrain, and carry scanners that show the condition of a building that has been severely damaged, according to the operator.

Drones, on the other hand, have access to disaster hit buildings that previously required scaffolding to assess damage.

Bedford said: “Because we use these tools in a variety of high-risk environments, we saw first-hand how to navigate debris, climb stairs, and reach elevated structures that usually require expensive and potentially risky access methods.

“This means we can make faster, more informed decisions regarding the protection of our heritage sites.

“Our drones and mobile robots, Spots, are invaluable tools during the 1984 fire.

“They're not just smart gadgets. They're helping to protect our heritage and keep people safe.”

Laura Cotter of the York Minster Fund said that seeing robots have proven that they are in such a situation as they are running robots at Notre Dame following the 2019 flames.

Cotter, Fund's Research and Innovation Manager, said: “I thought today to use technological innovations to capture critical data in unpredictable and dangerous conditions to inform repair priorities and approaches.

“The 1984 fire crushed rose windows to 40,000, taking four years to access and repair. There is no large footing, and it cannot access the windows and monitor how repairs are carried out.

“It is extremely difficult to reach this area even with modern drone technology without putting Minster's precious medieval glass at risk of collisions.”

She added: “Technology continues to move forward and change the way heritage buildings are monitored and maintained around the world.”