Robots Map Midland Sidewalks for Accessibility Assessment

Robots are collecting sidewalk and pedestrian accessibility data in the city of Midland as part of a public right-of-way assessment covering about 45 miles of priority corridors downtown and near the airport.

The Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization announced that the assessment began April 27 in partnership with Kimley-Horn and Daxbot. The work is intended to document current sidewalk conditions and identify barriers in key corridors for pedestrian accessibility planning.

Daxbot will work with Kimley-Horn to collect field data for the planning organization, according to the public notice. The notice says the project will use robots with mounted lasers and onboard sensors to collect direct measurements of sidewalks, public rights of way, benches, fire hydrants, signs, pedestrian signals, trails, curb ramps, multiuse paths, slopes and surface conditions along the selected corridors.

As many as six robots are expected to operate during daylight hours, and Kimley-Horn will compile the final sidewalk maps.

The project connects automated field data collection with Midland’s broader geospatial data environment. The city’s GIS Division provides digital data and mapping products for the city and the public, while Midland’s GeoStation portal provides access to location-based data, interactive maps and applications.

Daxbot markets its sidewalk-assessment services for public right-of-way transition plans, self-evaluations, GIS inventory and repair prioritization. The company says it can deliver sidewalk and curb ramp layers in ArcGIS, allowing agencies to manage assets and support long-term maintenance planning.