Data centre inspection robots in the UK: which robot suits which part of the facility, and where the findings should land

Yes, though documented deployments are mostly outside the UK so far. Digital Realty has used ANYbotics' ANYmal at a Zurich data centre since July 2022; according to Data Center Dynamics, the robot typically ran nine inspection missions a day, monitoring up to 70 elements with visual, thermal and acoustic measurements on two-hour missions, and alerting operators when cables overheated or pumps vibrated excessively. In the US, Novva Data Centers has said it uses a team of Boston Dynamics' Spot robots on pre-determined missions at its Utah campus, and Business Insider reported in March 2026 that Boston Dynamics sees data centres as an emerging market. We found no public UK data centre deployment to cite, which is why this guide describes forms and pilots rather than case studies.

The UK context is changing the question from "interesting" to "defensible". Data centres were designated Critical National Infrastructure on 12 September 2024. The government's factsheet for the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill says data centres will be brought into the NIS Regulations as an essential service, with Ofcom as regulator, for facilities with a rated IT load of 1 MW or more, or 10 MW or more for enterprise data centres serving only their owner. The same factsheet recalls July 2022, when two data centres serving an NHS trust failed during a heatwave, taking down most clinical IT systems at three hospitals.

These are forms, not named products, because no single data centre robot suits every space. Many facilities will find that fixed sensors plus a quadruped for plant and perimeter rounds covers more than a robot in the data hall.

Critical National Infrastructure and the NIS changes

CNI designation and the proposed NIS duties focus on security and resilience of the networks and information systems an operator relies on. A robot is a new connected device with cameras inside a secure facility. It should stay on its own private network, never on the IT or building control network, with no maker's cloud in the command path, and it should pass findings outwards through a controlled point that holds its credentials. That design is easier to put in front of a security team than a robot that phones home.

Electrical safety and the plant

Plant rooms contain high-voltage and low-voltage switchgear, UPS systems and batteries. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 apply to work near them. A robot inspects; it does not open panels, operate breakers or reset equipment. Its route and exclusion zones are set within the site's electrical safety rules.

Cameras, people and customers

A robot with cameras records staff, contractors and, in colocation facilities, customer equipment. UK GDPR applies to images of people, so the robot belongs in the site's CCTV policy and data protection impact assessment. Colocation contracts may restrict cameras in customer cages or suites; routes and camera behaviour must respect them. Our security robot dog buyer's guide covers the ICO obligations for patrol robots.

Security operations

Where a robot patrol is part of a monitored security service, the monitoring and response are delivered through an accredited security partner under their own certifications, not by the robot. See robot security patrols and our partnership with Macaw Security Solutions.

A radiometric thermal camera for switchgear, busbars, breakers, UPS modules, battery strings, pumps, chillers and generator components. A zoom camera for gauges, panel indicators, alarm lamps and door states. An acoustic sensor or microphone for pumps, fans, compressors and bearings. Leak detection by camera where water or glycol could reach the floor. Environmental sensors for temperature and humidity where the robot's route fills gaps in the fixed sensor network. Lighting for dark plant rooms. On the industrial quadrupeds these are payloads or configurations, such as Spot Cam 2 on Spot with thermal and 25× zoom, or ANYmal's pan-tilt unit with zoom, thermal and an ultrasonic microphone.

A data centre already has more screens than people: the BMS, the DCIM platform, the CMMS or ticketing system, the electrical power monitoring system and, for security, the VMS or alarm receiving platform. A robot that adds another app makes the NOC's job harder.

Forge Anvil is the integration software we are developing for this job: putting the robot's findings where your team already works. In a data centre, the pattern we would scope looks like this:

Which systems and formats apply is set in an integration review for the facility. The patterns are compared in our guide to integrating a robot with the software you already run, and how Anvil is designed to work is on the Forge Anvil page.

Start with one round that is frequent, long, out of hours or unpleasant: the night plant round, the roof and yard walk, or the perimeter patrol. Choose the robot form from the table above, then the platform from its published ratings. Involve facilities, security, IT security and, in colocation, the customer contracts team from the first meeting. Agree the measures:

Include an exit condition. That is how we structure a pilot programme, and a platform can come through a demonstration, hire, Robotics-as-a-Service where offered, or supply through Forge where that fits. Grant or innovation funding can sometimes contribute towards a suitable pilot, subject to eligibility and the schemes open at the time; it is never guaranteed and is assessed before a pilot is scoped.