Morganton uses robot to make sure city sidewalks are wheelchair-accessible

MORGANTON, N.C. — A robot in downtown Morganton is hard at work mapping miles of city sidewalks. It looks like something straight out of a Star Wars movie.

All day Wednesday, Channel 9′s Dave Faherty saw people grabbing their cellphones to take pictures of the machine.

The robot is called Dax and, over the next two weeks, it will be checking to make sure sidewalks across the city are safe. The city said the machine is part of its commitment to accessibility and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The City of Morganton hired Precision Infrastructure Management to conduct the comprehensive ADA self-assessment of the sidewalks.

Faherty could see Dax working by itself moving slowly throughout the city. Over the next two weeks, it will cover nearly 40 miles.

“It will give us data back on deficiencies in the sidewalk system and give us GPS coordinates of where those problems are out,” said Public Works Director Michael Chapman.

Elizabeth Smith’s daughter has special needs and must use a wheelchair to get around Morganton. She strongly supports the city’s efforts to improve safety.

“This right here is just absolutely fantastic. The best thing that Morganton has ever done,” she said.

On Wednesday, Faherty could see Dax increase its speed at intersections and also engage with the public who stopped to check it out. It was a big hit for Briceson Brittain and his dad.

“It has these wheels that are like tracks,” Brittain said. “Super cool.”

The city told Faherty on Wednesday they won’t be able to fix everything at one time, but Dax will help them prioritize projects and maintain the city sidewalks over the next several years.

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