JLR Deploys Robotic Dog ‘Rover’ To Boost Safety At Coventry EV Facility

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has taken a significant step towards automating its electric vehicle (EV) testing facility by introducing a robotic dog named Rover. The robot, developed by Boston Dynamics, is deployed at the Coventry-based site to support JLR’s efforts to transition to electric vehicles by 2030. Rover’s main task is to monitor equipment and systems at the facility, which houses critical testing infrastructure for the upcoming Range Rover Electric.

Rover, the robotic dog at JLR's Coventry EV testing facility, operates around the clock. It is designed to patrol the site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without breaks. Each day, Rover completes up to 24 rounds of patrols. These patrols follow pre-set routes, allowing Rover to continuously monitor equipment and conduct safety checks at regular intervals throughout the day and night. Between patrols, the robot returns to its charging station to power up its 50V battery before resuming its duties. This constant activity ensures the facility operates efficiently and safely, with minimal human intervention.

With built-in sensors, Rover can assess various safety factors, including monitoring battery temperatures and detecting potential gas leaks. Its thermal and acoustic sensors can identify hazards that are hard for human workers to detect, adding an extra layer of safety for the technicians on-site.

JLR plans to explore the possibility of deploying more robotic assistants across its other global sites, including Solihull, where it is preparing for the launch of the electric Range Rover and Jaguar's first fully electric model.

Gonzalo Ejarque‑Rinaldini, PhD Automation and Robotics at JLR, said, “Key to JLR’s Reimagine strategy is a continual collaboration with the industry’s brightest minds, developing advanced robotics solutions that work in harmony with our employees for the uncompromising benefit of our clients. 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.”