Cal Poly to Improve Campus Accessibility with the Help of Robots
Contact: Kassidy Church
kchurc01@calpoly.edu
SAN LUIS OBISPO — This Fall, Cal Poly will begin accessibility mapping of campus with the help of autonomous robots.
In partnership with Bureau Veritas (BV), a fleet of three Daxbot robots will roam Cal Poly between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17.
These findings will provide revamped recommendations for Cal Poly’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan and help make the campus more accessible.
“These robots will make quick work of this extremely important process,” said Anthony Palazzo, executive director of Facilities Planning and Capital Projects at Cal Poly. “And they will help us continue our growth and evolution to becoming a more welcoming and accessible campus to everyone.”
Following a “Path of Travel,” the robots will evaluate pathways someone with a disability could use to access any campus building, from parking to their destination, thereby determining existing barriers to accessibility. Utilizing millimeter-level precision, the robots will scan more than 31 miles of roads and pathways throughout campus and evaluate the Path of Travel.
“Our robots take on the dirty, dull and dangerous parts of accessibility mapping while providing accurate and actionable data,” said Andy Craig, vice president of sales at Daxbot. “Bureau Veritas pairs the extensive sidewalk condition data we collect with its years of accessibility expertise to support the university’s accessibility goals. It’s a win for everyone.”
To submit feedback or learn more, visit the Facilities Management & Development web page.
About Cal Poly
Founded in 1901 and part of the renowned California State University system since 1960, Cal Poly is a nationally ranked, four-year comprehensive polytechnic public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. Known for its Learn by Doing approach, small class sizes and open access to expert faculty, Cal Poly is a distinctive learning community whose 22,000 academically motivated students enjoy an unrivaled hands-on educational experience that prepares them to lead successful personal and professional lives.
About Bureau Veritas
Founded in 1986, Bureau Veritas is a professional services consulting firm providing comprehensive architectural, engineering, energy, and environmental solutions. BV has over 800 building professionals nationwide, including Registered Architects, Professional Engineers, Certified Energy Managers, Project Managers, Environmental Professionals, Building Systems Consultants and Code Compliance Experts. Annually, Bureau Veritas conducts thousands of assessments for Multifamily, Commercial, Industrial, Government and Educational clients.
About Daxbot
Daxbot (Philomath, Oregon) builds people-first autonomous robots that take on dirty, dull and dangerous jobs. Its ADA assessment robots deliver highly accurate data to help municipalities and public institutions plan repairs and meet ADA and PROWAG standards.
