A small robot named Rook is quietly making history in the North Texas suburbs - rolling down Burleson sidewalks as part of what officials say is the first citywide robotic ADA sidewalk assessment ever conducted in Texas.
The City of Burleson launched its comprehensive Americans with Disabilities Act assessment of public right-of-way sidewalks in January as part of ongoing efforts to improve accessibility for all residents and visitors. Engineering firm Kimley-Horn is leading the project, pairing trained assessment technicians with robots built by Oregon-based Daxbot to evaluate up to 218 linear miles of sidewalk corridors and up to 8 miles of paved trails.
The robots scan sidewalks, collecting measurements and images to identify potential barriers including cracks, uplifts, tripping hazards, and obstructions that could make it difficult for people with disabilities to safely navigate the city.
The efficiency advantage over traditional methods is significant. Burleson Director of Public Works Errick Thompson said the robots collect six to seven miles of data per day - compared with roughly two miles per day using human crews alone. The robots also take highly precise measurements, collecting data every centimeter.
The data collected will be used to create an inventory of sidewalk hazards and accessibility concerns across the city, with deliverables including GIS-ready field data, access barrier information, and maps showing problem locations.
Privacy concerns were top of mind for some residents who spotted the robots in their neighborhoods. Thompson told NBC 5 the robots are "really focused on the pathway that they are walking" and would not collect video from homes, windows, or front yards. Daxbot's Mason Reeves added that while operators can monitor video and audio to ensure the robots function properly, that information is not saved - only sidewalk-related data is retained.
The robots have previously been deployed on college campuses, but Burleson is the first city in Texas to put them to work. Residents can expect to see the robots operating around town for about another month.
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