Dallas County has partnered with the North Texas Innovation Alliance to launch a UAS and Robotics Technology Program in support of Dallas County’s Smart County Blueprint. The programme will help drive the potential adoption of drone and robotic solutions to improve county efficiencies, enhance public safety and address day-to-day processes of various county departments.

The North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) is a 501(c)3 regional consortium of more than 40 municipalities, agencies, corporations and academic institutions across North Texas with the goal of building the most connected, smart and resilient region in the United States.

The county is seeking developments and partnerships particularly in the UAS, robotics and drone industries to provide solutions in the areas of parking lot surveillance, illegal dumping detection, inventory management, inter-office and building delivery, remote fleet vehicle inspections, building inspection/evaluations and robotics for public safety. Dallas County has submitted a call for innovation for solutions after condensing an entry pool from over 35 responses. County stakeholders including the Sheriff’s Department, Buildings Department, and the Fire Marshal’s Office.

“The UAS and Robotics Program is the next step for Dallas County reaching its Smart County vision,” said NTXIA Co-Founder and Executive Director Jennifer Sanders. “Together with our partners, NTXIA’s mission is to help municipalities in the North Texas region discover world-class smart city technologies and important resources they will need to improve the lives of citizens and create efficiencies, as well as elevate public safety into the future.”

NTXIA launched Dallas County’s Smart County Blueprint in 2021 to help local governments leverage new solutions to improve outcomes and resource efficiencies, as well as enhance quality of life for Dallas County jurisdictions and their residents. The UAS and Robotics Technology Program is a key item on the agenda for 2023 to help government stakeholders understand the value and feasibility of scaling and implementing these solutions county-wide.

“As a county, we want to best serve our residents and enhance their day-to-day lives by leveraging the latest technology solutions, and our drone and robotics programme is just the beginning,” said Dallas County Assistant County Administrator Jonathon Bazan. “Our Smart County Blueprint aims to create a cohesive experience for residents with access to similar technologies as they cross city lines within Dallas County and making government leaders aware of the technologies available and their benefits is the first step toward long-term implementation. NTXIA has been key in helping our county both shape and execute on this vision, and today’s demo day allows leaders, stakeholders and constituents to see the potential of this vision first hand.”