The sidewalk surveying robot, Dax the Droid, began his first day of work on Monday in Madras. His mission: evaluate sidewalks and report which areas could use improvement.
“He will traverse through town and he will evaluate our sidewalks in a lot of different ways. He will be grading them, reporting when there’s no sidewalk and areas that need infill, he’ll be doing measurements for us,” Public Works Office Coordinator with the City of Madras Michele Quinn said.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get much done Monday due to connectivity issues between the droid and his operator, who is based in Philomath.
When Dax is up and running, Dax can travel up to 4 mph. His battery can last for two hours on a single charge and he can withstand temperatures ranging from -4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We’re a pilot project, so Dax isn’t costing us anything right now. He’s out there and they’re supposed to give us the data when they’re done,” Quinn said.
Through Dax’s data collection he will be able to also report which areas in town still need to meet the American with Disabilities Act standards.
“We’re just excited to find out what Dax can provide for us, and hopefully use that information moving forward to secure grants for replacing some of the sidewalks and getting everything up to ADA requirements,” Quinn said.
Dax will be roaming around Madras all week. The city says do not be afraid to say “hi” if you spot him.
