Pleasanton residents demand privacy protections for robot fleet

Residents of Pleasanton are petitioning for stricter data privacy regulations regarding a fleet of Daxbots deployed by the city. The robots were introduced as part of a “Public Right-of-Way Survey” to assist with the city’s ADA Transition Plan by assessing sidewalk accessibility and road conditions.

Concerns were raised by local resident and mechanical-design engineer Brent Werder, who initiated a Change.org petition following observations of the robots remaining stationary for extended periods. Werder expressed apprehension regarding whether the machines are collecting data on residents or if there are sufficient safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to collected information.

In response, Daxbot communications director Miriam Sullivan stated that the company follows a “privacy first” approach. She asserted that the robots only collect data necessary for specific tasks, such as path widths and slopes, and that this information is not shared publicly.