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Albany High students in the Pre-Engineering Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway and the Robotics Team had the unique opportunity to meet "Lumos" the robotic dog during last Thursday.

"Lumos," whose namesake comes from the Harry Potter book series, is a robot manufactured by Boston Dynamics utilized by National Grid to execute asset inspections vital to maintaining the power grid. "Lumos" collects visual and thermal data and can also facilitate mapping of spaces to assist with tasks that can be classified as dangerous, dirty and/or dull. 

"I think it's really cool that they are able to have machinery in places where humans can't go," shared sophomore Vanshika Zaveri. 

During the lesson, students learned about how the robot navigates using AprilTags, which serve as visual reference markers, allowing a camera to calculate exact position, distance, and orientation in three-dimensional space. Students also learned that due to security reasons and the sensitivity of the data being collected, "Lumos" does not utilize artificial intelligence. 

At the culmination of the lesson, several students had the opportunity to pilot "Lumos," using the remote control to move the robotic dog around the demonstration area.

Seeing the real-world application of concepts they are learning in class was an incredible experience for our Falcons! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Albany High Technology and Computer Science department, as well as to National Grid representative Dean Berlin, who facilitated such an informative presentation about the practical and innovative uses of robots in the energy sector.