“I’m actually hoping we might see more robots on our streets” — this Texas city used robots to improve its sidewalks, and I hope it isn’t the last

• Burleson deployed robots to scan its sidewalks
• They detect damage, obstacles, and other issues that could make it harder for people with disabilities to use the sidewalk
• They can complete 6 miles in the time a human could scan 2 miles

Obstacles in your path and damaged sidewalks are frustrations to most pedestrians, but for folks with accessibility needs, they can make routes completely inaccessible — so one city is using robots to make their streets better.

Burleson, a city in the US state of Texas, is the first in the state to deploy Daxbots — also known as ADA-compliance or urban service robots. These Wall-E-looking machines roam sidewalks and are packed with scanners and sensors to measure sidewalk width and slope, as well as detect potential obstacles that could pose barriers for people with disabilities (via CBS).

The bots cover about six or seven ...