Pompeii employs robot dog to patrol Roman ruins, tomb raider tunnels

Cave Canem: Spot the Robotic dog has been deployed to explore tunnels and map Pompeii's secrets. Photo / Pompeii Archaeological Park, Leica Geosystems Italia

Ecce Canis!

The Pompeii Archaeological Park near Naples has deployed a mechanical dog to patrol the 1900-year-old streets of the preserved Roman town.

'Spot', built by Boston Dynamics, is a four legged robot who will be used to scan the ruins and inspect tunnels, dug by thieves.

Guard dogs are nothing new to Pompeii. Remains of dogs and other pets have been uncovered in the city, which was obliterated by the eruption of the Vesuvius volcano in 79AD. One of the best known attractions is a mosaic sign of a chained dog under the inscription "Cave Canem", meaning "Beware the dog!"

However, Spot is a completely different beast.

Beware the Dog: The guard dog is one of Pompeii's most famous murals. Photo / Wikimedia Commons

Since 2013 Pompeii's archaeological conservators have been investing heavily on high-tech solutions, since a warning from Unesco that the site was in danger of falling into disrepair.

Pompeii's mangers at the Archaeological Park said Spot is part of a wider project to modernise the park and keep it open to visitors. Around 2.8 million visitors arrive at the buried villages of Pompeii and Herculaneum every year, making it among Italy's most visited attractions.

Buried for 700 years under volcanic debris, they are the best preserved sites from Ancient Rome. However, conservation of ruins and mass tourism is a difficult balance. It is hoped that partnerships with tech companies like Leica Geosystems Italia can help address it and grant access more of the park.

Aerial Drones and LIDAR mounted scanners on Spot help build a better picture of the delicate ruins. Photo / Pompeii Archeological Park, Leica Italy

In a statement the park said: "A robot like Spot is able to inspect places, even small ones, in complete safety, acquiring and recording data useful for the study and design of conservation measures."

One of the main uses for Spot will be patrolling the tunnels made by the 'tombaroli' (tomb raiders). Since first being discovered in the 1700s, many artefacts have been stolen from the site. Underground tunnels are often found made by thieves as recently as 2012.

Spot the Robotic dog is being used to scan ruins and underground tunnels. Photo / Pompeii Archaeological Park, Leica Italy

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of Pompeii Archaeological Park, says spot will make an excellent guard dog and allow them to patrol some of the more dangerous underground networks.

"Often the safety conditions within the tunnels dug by grave robbers are extremely precarious, and so the use of a robot could signify a breakthrough that would allow us to proceed with greater speed and in total safety," he told the Guardian.

LIDAR scans carried out via Spot and aerial drones can help build a better plan for conserving the ancient remains, and make new discoveries.

The unluckiest man in history: Excavations continue today at the archaeological park. Photo / Getty Images

Last year a magnificent wedding chariot was discovered, with ornate bronze decorations preserved on the metalwork.

In 2018 the park discovered the remains of a skeleton dubbed the 'unluckiest man in history' beneath a large boulder. It is thought he was preparing to escape the eruption when a piece of masonry was dislodged on top of him.