CLEVELAND — In a groundbreaking public debut, a new robotic street painting system was showcased in Cleveland’s Public Square, marking the first time this innovative technology has been demonstrated in this type of setting.

The system, developed by Northeast Ohio company RoadPrintz Inc., allows for precise pavement markings without the need for traditional stencils and manual labor.

Wyatt Newman, co-founder of RoadPrintz Inc., emphasized the significance of the event.

"This is the first time in the world that we have a city worker painting with a robot on city streets," he said, noting that a Cleveland city employee operated the robotic truck during the demonstration.

The system features a robotic arm mounted on a truck, designed to paint crosswalks, arrows and other road markings. Sam Bell, president of RoadPrintz Inc., said this technology could help address labor shortages in the industry.

"This can help address the labor shortage," Bell said. "We are not taking anybody’s jobs. The cities cannot fill these jobs because they are really hard jobs."

Rick Francis, a traffic sign technician for the City of Cleveland, was at the helm of the robotic truck during the demonstration. He described the operation as user-friendly.

"The system actually shows me exactly what it is painting. It gives me a preview of what I am going to paint, and I have cameras on each corner of the truck, so I can see what is going on with the road. I can make adjustments with touch control on the screen," Francis said.

Beyond efficiency, safety is a key focus for RoadPrintz and the city workers.

"We can’t watch the stuff around us because we are trying to watch the ground as we are painting," Francis said. "In this vehicle, I’m watching the paint here, and the truck is protecting me from traffic."

Bell hopes the new street painting system will reduce costs and improve efficiency for cities across the country.

"I’m seeing the results today, and I couldn’t be prouder," he said. "I feel like a proud papa."