Credit: City of Irvine
Public perceptions around sidewalk use have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, when their role in supporting other forms of mobility became quite evident. Cities are increasingly integrating technology — including AI — into their work to ensure sidewalks meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Now, robots are beginning to impact several sectors, and their use in Irvine is one such example.
Improving the accessibility of something like sidewalks for people with disabilities simultaneously improves experiences for all users through what is known as the curb cut effect, in which efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, like curb cuts, more broadly improve the user experience for everyone. Curb cut ramps help older adults, people with strollers or luggage, bikers and others navigate sidewalks more safely.
The city is responsible for maintaining more than 9,000 curb ramps and 950 miles of sidewalks for its population of more than 313,000. Robots are now helping to lighten that load. They’re doing so by collecting information that used to be primarily taken manually, according to an email from the city’s Public Information Officer (PIO) Linda Fontes.
These robots are collecting a variety of information using sensors, Fontes said. This includes sidewalk level changes, running slope, cross slope, wheelchair pathway roughness index, low clearances and obstructions. They are collecting information from curb access ramps on running and cross slopes, lengths and widths, landing measurements, and obstructions, and are also taking images of the ground.
“The ground data being collected can be analyzed in the office for further assessment without the need for multiple site visits,” according to Fontes.
A video from the city of Irvine, shown below, offers information as to how these robots will be put to use to improve accessibility for the community.
The robots were first rolled out in August, and they are monitored in real time with at least one field technician on standby for troubleshooting purposes. The city encouraged residents not to disturb or block the robots’ paths so they can complete their tasks safely.
“If you encounter a Daxbot on the sidewalk, please treat it as City of Irvine Public Works & Sustainability staff working in the field,” a city news release said.
Data the robots gather will be used to develop the city’s updated Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan, Fontes said. Officials will develop an implementation plan to make recommended improvements, which will be presented to the City Council for approval through the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
The robots are expected to assess over 9,000 curb ramps, 950 miles of sidewalk and 70 miles of trails in approximately six months, the PIO said.
This is part of the city’s self-evaluation to ensure public facilities are accessible for people with disabilities, as outlined by Title II of the ADA. The robots are one piece of the puzzle; assessment of buildings and playgrounds will be done in person by the city’s consultant, Fontes said.
Prior to the adoption of robots, staff in the city's Public Works and Sustainability Department would inspect sidewalks and curb ramps for ADA compliance every four years, which paired with the work outlined in the countywide ADA Transition Plan, Fontes said. Staff would also address resident reports. The robots, she said, can enable data collection processes to be done up to five times faster.
Editor's note: This story first appeared in Government Technology, a sister publication to Industry Insider — California.
