If you spot a small robot creeping along a South San Francisco sidewalk this fall, it is working for the city. Daxbot robots began surveying sidewalks and pedestrian paths on Monday, Oct. 26, and will keep going through the end of November, Patch and the San Mateo Daily Journal reported.
What they are looking for
The robots collect information on curb ramps, intersections, transit stops and other street conditions. The work is part of the city's ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, which looks for barriers for people with disabilities. The city is doing the survey with the firm Bureau Veritas, according to Patch.
A robot can cover up to 8 miles a day, compared with about 2 miles for a two-person team on foot, Patch reported. The city says the data will also help it apply for grants to pay for fixes.
What to know
- The robots travel slowly along sidewalks and pedestrian paths.
- Their support trailers are parked in the Alta Loma Park lot on Camaritas Avenue.
- According to Patch, video is kept only if there is a safety incident.
Daxbot's news page shows South San Francisco is not the first Bay Area city to try this. It lists a Pleasanton deployment earlier this fall.