Smart scanner developed to detect potholes
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028597
BBC : Potholes, the bane of drivers, form as the asphalt used on roadways degrades. Large potholes can damage vehicles and disrupt traffic flow. Now researchers have found a way to look for potential pothole sites before the potholes form. They have mounted 2D and 3D scanners on the front of a van, which drives around and captures images of road surfaces. A computer algorithm is used to distinguish among different surface textures, including tire marks, oil spills, and previous pothole repairs. It is looking for the loss of fine and coarse aggregate particles from the asphalt mix, which is the hallmark of pavement degradation, called raveling. In a test, the system took just 0.65 second to process the data and identify 900 potential sites.
