Jaguar Land Rover’s Rudy robot can operate even in temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius, ensuring normal operation of the car door throughout its life cycle
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One Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) employee will be working non-stop throughout the Christmas period – a robot named ‘Rudy’, performing lifetime checks on car doors before they are signed off.
Rudy the robot is JLR’s “trusted automation colleague” and can operate in conditions of minus 40 degrees to ensure the durability of JLR doors.
Rudy was employed at the company’s Gaydon plant to open and close test vehicle doors 84,000 times in sub-zero temperatures over 12 weeks to simulate service life. This means that during the Christmas period alone, Rudy will open the door of his Range Rover more than 14,000 times.
JLR said the full 12-week testing period was equivalent to a person lifting weights three times a week at the gym for more than 17 years, although gym-goers tend not to exercise in temperatures similar to indoor temperatures. Rudy also worked in temperatures similar to California’s arid Death Valley.
“The quality of the entire customer ownership experience is a top priority for Jaguar Land Rover,” said Thomas Mueller, executive director of product engineering at Jaguar Land Rover. “Rudy is just one of our key robots and represents our rigorous vehicle part testing program, which is dedicated to simulating use in Vehicle parts are evaluated under the most extreme conditions during their lifetime.
“This helps ensure its durability and provides our customers with the level of quality they expect from a modern luxury brand.”
Jaguar Land Rover’s Gaydon facility houses a number of simulation facilities, allowing the brand to test real-world conditions in a central location. It even has an asphalt test track that includes speed humps and manhole covers to help testers replicate real-life road hazards.
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First published date: December 20, 2024 09:50 AM IST