Carmel deploys high-tech vehicle to detect potholes, road deficiencies
CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — The city of Carmel is deploying a high-tech vehicle to look for road deficiencies, both seen and unseen.
“I’m told that every tenth of a second, it is taking video, first of all. Then when there are defects, there is an analysis that is done via software and AI,” or artificial intelligence, said Carmel City Councilman Jeff Worrell.
The company doing the work is called StreetScan, and the data it provides the city government can help decide how to prioritize road projects.
“Potholes, obviously, cracks, bumps, unevenness, but it’s looking for things that come up from the underside of the road versus what you and I may see when we drive down a road,” Worrell said.
Trucks or heavy equipment may cause some of the wear and tear.
Carmel uses a federally recognized system of rating roads called “PASER” when seeking grant funds for road work.
“A 10 is usually a brand-new road, and 1 means it’s crumbling and not useable,” Worrell said.
Carmel is already working on 30 miles of streets that are deemed “3s.” Data gathered by Streetscan will be applied to the city’s 2023 road budget so more of these vulnerable roads can be fixed.
“In Carmel, we believe that the road conditions actually enhance our commerce, the ability for our residents to get around the community, but also for people and businesses that want to come to our community,” Worrell said.
The city signed a four-year contract to use the StreetScan technology for $68,000 a year.