Northern California police are on the hunt for two men who attacked and poured beer on city robots tasked with surveying the city’s sidewalks for safety improvements.
The Hollister Police Department said that the two new robotic assessment units from Daxbot operating in the city this week were attacked by vandals who kicked and knocked the robots over while they were doing assessment of sidewalks, curbs, etc. for accessibility and ADA compliance.
Surveillance footage-captured by the robot camera-showed in one incident a person riding up on a bike, before knocking the robot over on its side and taking off, per the department’s post on Facebook.
In another incident, another person approaches the robot, hits it and then attacks the second robot who was recording the vandalism.
The suspect strikes the robot and then pours what police said was beer on the second robot before fleeing the area.
“While the presence of these robots may naturally generate curiosity, the Hollister Police Department reminds the public that these units are performing an important public service,” the department explained in the post.
The robotic units are funded through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program.
“The robots are equipped with advanced measuring and recording technology that allows them to accurately assess sidewalk conditions, identify potential accessibility barriers, and document areas requiring improvement,” the post read.
The company said the robots “Locate and record the accessible route, create prioritization maps based on how often a path is traveled and how many hazards are present, and identify/inventory assets along pedestrian paths.”
The company’s Facebook page is filled with photos people have taken with the robots in their cities.
The Oregon-based company said that taking pictures with them is fine, but encourages people to allow the robots to perform the task they are programmed to do.
The robots will be surveying the sidewalks and pathways in the city for several weeks and months before leaving, KSBW reported.
At this time, it is unclear what kind of damage the robots suffered and the cost to repair them.
The California Post reached out to DaxBot and Hollister PD for further comment.
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