AI could solve Victoria's pothole crisis
By Daniel Allen.
Artificial Intelligence could be the solution to Victoria’s ongoing pothole crisis.
Potholes have become a major Victorian state election issue with both major parties committing billions of dollars to repair roads. But an expert from Swinburne University of Technology says the solution lies in using AI to find “coconut cracks” before they become potholes.
Director of the Vehicle Engineering Team at Swinburne University, Associate Professor Ambarish Kulkarni has been working with AI technology that could allow large sections of roads to be scanned using photographic imaging.
''All potholes come from coconut cracks but anything more than 5mm should be fixed immediately,” said Associate Professor Kulkarni. “The problem is identifying these in large road sections, that is where we are struggling.”
He believes capturing detailed images of entire road networks could provide authorities with a clearer picture of the condition of Victoria’s roads.''I’ve seen it get worse the past 2 to 3 years. Any road you go, you see a pothole.''
“We spend billions of dollars every year on our roads. The issue is technologically we have not updated ourselves,” said Associate Professor Kulkarni.
This technology is already being used to prevent potholes in Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
Professor Kulkarni said coconut cracking creates a distinctive pattern across the surface of a road. If left untreated, water can enter the cracks and weaken the pavement, eventually leading to potholes.
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