Project Summary
The project will create the first automated device for accurate geometric characterization of potholes, to enable autonomous road maintenance and repair.
Project Achievements
The @LERT lab led by Dr Paoletti at the University of Liverpool have used T-TRIG funding to develop the first-of-its-kind device for accurate and autonomous characterisation of road defects. By using technologies originally designed for metrology and manufacturing, the team has shown that the geometry and appearance of road surface and road defects can be characterised with a level of accuracy that is beyond what is achieved today.
Conclusions
The research team has had good success in building the physical prototype and the associated software, with lab tests demonstrating that cracks and potholes can be reliably identified. The integrated sensors and data analysis algorithms are capable of accurately reconstructing the geometry of the identified defects. Moreover, a tool to generate synthetic data representing road defects in the same format used by commercial sensors has been developed. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the team to postpone field testing.
The Shape-Pot project was extremely useful for engaging with key stakeholders (road owners, road maintenance crews, contractors, manufacturers etc), who showed great interest in the project. The University of Liverpool team, and the partner spin-off Robotiz3d, are looking for further funding and partners to develop the technology towards commercialization.
