Imagine a dog you don't need to train. Instead, you can program it to do whatever you want. Now, you don't need to imagine it. Meet Spot, a dog-like robot from US company Boston Dynamics.

In March, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii (庞贝考古公园) in Italy gave Spot a new job. Pompeii is a famous "time capsule (胶囊)" from the ancient world. Thousands of years ago, a nearby volcano covered the city in ash. Many people died, but the ash kept buildings safe until someone found it in 1748.

So, what is Spot doing in Pompeii? It walks around the site with a 3D scanner (扫描仪). There are many narrow, underground tunnels in Pompeii. Thieves used the tunnels to steal things. The tunnels bring safety problems to the ancient buildings. Robot dogs are small enough to go through these tunnels and find any changes to the buildings.

According to Gabriel Zuchtriegel, new director of the site, this is the first time anyone has used a robot to help protect an archaeological site. "It's a breakthrough and it would allow us to protect the ruins with greater speed and in total safety," said Zuchtriegel.

Spot will also work with a 3D-scanning drone (无人机). The two tools will check the site regularly. They will look for any damage that may need a repair. As art magazine ART news said, Pompeii is turning into a "Smart Archaeological Park".