Bangor will be using small rolling robots to assess the city’s sidewalks, curbs and crosswalks for accessibility and planning, the city announced Thursday.
The robots, made by Oregon-based Daxbot, “collect continuous measurements, including uplifts, cross slopes and curb-ramp geometry, and deliver data in a GIS-ready format to help City engineers and planners identify and prioritize improvements,” according to the city.
The city plans to use six of the robots, which stand 35 inches tall and measure 25 inches wide and long. Moving on tank-style caterpillar tracks, they are expected to cover about 6 miles per day over a period of five weeks collecting accessibility data.
The robots have a separate head-like top with animated cartoon eyes, through which they use “nature-based non-verbal communication cues to interact with humans,” the company says. Daxbot robots are controlled by human operators at least some of the time.
In addition to ADA robots, Daxbot also makes security robots.
According to the city the data is needed “to ensure the city meets federal standards that include those established by the Americans with Disabilities Act.” The city said it is “partnering” with Daxbot but did not detail the terms of the arrangement.
The city is asking members of the public to treat the robots as they would members of a road maintenance crew.
