Irvine Deploys Daxbot Robots to Audit Sidewalk Accessibility

• Autonomous units will survey sidewalks and curb ramps to support the city's ADA compliance review.
• Data collected will help identify barriers and guide Irvine’s long-term accessibility planning.

Daxbot is working with the City of Irvine to evaluate sidewalk and curb ramp conditions across the city. The effort is part of Irvine’s ADA self-assessment, with Bureau Veritas leading the accessibility review. The robots will cover about 950 miles of sidewalks and more than 9,000 curb ramps.

"Partnering with Irvine marks a milestone in urban accessibility," added Joseph Sullivan, Co-founder of Daxbot, in a press release. "The city is demonstrating how robotics can deliver actionable assessment data in weeks instead of years, benefiting everyone, especially those with disabilities and older adults."

Daxbot’s mobile robots are equipped with GPS and precision sensors to capture detailed measurements, including width, slope, surface condition, and ramp structure. The high-resolution data is used to identify physical obstacles and prioritize areas for improvement as part of a citywide accessibility transition plan.

Deployment begins in southern Irvine in late August and will expand northward. The public is advised to treat the robots as municipal field staff and avoid blocking their route as they move at walking speed and yield to pedestrians.

🌀 Tom’s Take:

A lot of the focus on robots is on what they can do, but it's also about what information they can collect. This is a great example of using in-world sensors as physical AI to better understand our environment.

Source: Business Wire / Daxbot