Two sidewalk-assessment robots rolling through Hollister to evaluate pedestrian infrastructure ran into more than a few cracks last Friday. Police say one machine was deliberately tipped onto its side, and another was struck and splashed with beer, all while the incidents were caught on the robots’ own cameras. The vandalism has sparked a local investigation and raised fresh questions about how to protect gear used for federally funded street-safety work. The Daxbot units that were mapping sidewalks and curb ramps are still in the city while officials sort through what happened.
According to the East Bay Times, Hollister police said an unidentified person intentionally pushed one robot over near West and 5th streets. In a separate run-in near Fourth and Line streets, someone reportedly hit two of the machines and poured what appeared to be a beer on one of them. The paper reported that the onboard cameras recorded the encounters and that Daxbot, the company operating the robots, turned that footage over to the police. Investigators are treating the incidents as vandalism and have opened a case.
Police Release Robot Video
Hollister police say the video captured by the Daxbot units helped launch the investigation, and now they want the public’s help to identify whoever decided to pick on the sidewalk scouts. In a social media post, officers reminded residents that curiosity is one thing, assaulting the hardware is another. “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 wrote, as reported by KSBW. Anyone with information is asked to call the department at 831-636-4331.
Robots Are Part Of A Road-Safety Study
The robots are not just quirky sidewalk tourists. The Daxbot units are in town as part of Hollister’s Vision Zero-style safety study funded through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which the city says will help identify ADA gaps and rank which fixes should come first. BenitoLink reported that Hollister received its SS4A grant in 2024 for a plan that includes an ADA transition component and several community workshops.
On its Daxbot page, the company says its sidewalk-assessment robots continuously measure sidewalks and curb ramps so engineers can cover miles of pavement far more quickly than with clipboards and tape measures. The firm is based in Philomath, Oregon.
Vandalism Follows A National Pattern
As sidewalk and delivery robots show up in more cities, some residents have responded with selfies and curiosity, and a smaller number with kicks and shoves. Companies say these attacks are relatively rare but still create real maintenance costs and image problems. Reporting from Semafor noted that many operators prefer to tweak robot design or add alarms rather than involve police unless someone’s safety is at risk, and that most firms still treat this kind of hazing as an occasional maintenance issue rather than a serious threat to the business.
Hollister officials say the Daxbot units will likely stay on local sidewalks for several weeks or even months while the study continues, and police are urging anyone who saw the Friday incidents to speak up. As the East Bay Times reported, the city and Daxbot are asking residents to give the robots some breathing room so they can finish collecting data without any more drama.
