What If the Sensors on Your Car Were Inspecting Potholes for the Government? Honda Found Out

Ohio's Department of Transportation (ODOT) has partnered with automaker Honda to test whether sensor-equipped vehicles can effectively detect potholes and other road hazards. The two-year study used Hondas equipped with cameras and Lidar sensors to identify areas in need of repair, and the results were promising.

According to a recent pilot program, vehicle-generated data was found to be effective in reporting roads that required repairs or had deficient signage and directions. Over 3,000 miles of Ohio's roads were covered by the study, which involved Honda workers driving vehicles equipped with various sensors to identify problems such as poor road quality, damaged guardrails, and insufficient lane markings.

The system, developed by Honda as part of its Proactive Roadway Maintenance System, uses data from production vehicle sensors to collect information on road hazards. While not designed primarily for asset monitoring, these sensors are able to gather continuous data during daily driving, making them a valuable resource.

However, the effectiveness of this technology relies on advanced analytics and verification processes, including human employees who verified sensor picks and reported findings to ODOT using Parsons' technology. The results showed that 99% of damaged or hidden signs were detected accurately, 93% of damaged guardrails, and 89% of potholes.

According to Honda, the system has the potential to save Ohio's DOT $4.5 million in road maintenance costs due to reduced inspection time, improved repair scheduling, and better preventative planning. The automaker plans to continue testing its Proactive Roadway Maintenance System and exploring ways to allow drivers to anonymously share data with ODOT and report problems on the road.

While this technology is still in its infancy, Honda's pilot program suggests that sensor-equipped vehicles could play a significant role in enhancing safety and reducing costs for road maintenance. The company plans to take this project forward in future phases, potentially even integrating it into autonomous taxi services.

I'm loving the idea of using sensor-equipped vehicles to monitor roads ! It's genius how Honda is using data from production vehicle sensors to gather info on road hazards. I can see how it would be super helpful for ODOT, especially with all those miles of roads to cover . And the fact that 99% of damaged signs were detected accurately is mind-blowing ! But, what if drivers could report problems anonymously? It'd make reporting road issues a breeze . Also, I wonder how it'll scale up for autonomous taxi services... will we see more self-driving cabs on the road?

You know how we used to have those old pavement cameras back in the day? Like, just a simple thing on the side of the road that'd give you an estimate of your remaining tire life? Well, I guess this is kinda like that but way more high-tech . So, basically they've got these sensors installed in Honda cars and it's detecting potholes and other hazards... which is awesome, right? It's like having a super cool, techy version of the old pavement cameras we used to love (or hate, depending on how rough the roads were).

Now I'm all for this kinda thing! Imagine being able to report problems with the road without even having to take your phone out... it's just gonna be a part of driving, you know? And hey, if it saves them $4.5 million in maintenance costs, that's just a bonus . So yeah, I think this is all pretty cool stuff. Maybe one day we'll have cars that can detect everything from potholes to road construction delays and send us alerts... wouldn't that be something?

Ugh, sensors? Really? I mean, I'm all for saving some cash on road maintenance, but do we really need to rely on cars to tell us where the potholes are . Like, can't they just, like, fix them already?! But, I guess it's a step in the right direction, and if it saves Ohio $4.5 million (that's like, a lot of granola bars ), then yeah, let's do it!

But seriously, 99% accuracy on detecting damaged signs is pretty impressive. And if they can integrate this tech into autonomous taxi services, that'd be awesome . Maybe we'll finally have self-driving cars that don't suck (too much) .

The notion that sensor-equipped vehicles can be utilized to detect potholes and other road hazards is a paradigm-shifting development . By harnessing the collective data from production vehicle sensors, Honda's Proactive Roadway Maintenance System has shown remarkable promise in identifying areas requiring repair or signage updates. The impressive accuracy of 99% for damaged signs, 93% for guardrails, and 89% for potholes bodes well for widespread adoption . Moreover, the system's potential to save $4.5 million in road maintenance costs is a testament to its practical applications . As Honda continues to refine this technology, I foresee autonomous taxi services becoming an integral part of this initiative, revolutionizing urban transportation and infrastructure management .

Wow ! This is interesting... Sensors in cars can actually help fix potholes like that? I mean, 99% of damaged signs detected accurately? That's crazy! If it works, less time and money wasted on road repairs would be a big deal. Drivers could even report issues anonymously, which could lead to better roads everywhere. Autonomous taxi services? That sounds like sci-fi but maybe not so far off in the future

I'm still not convinced about these sensor-equipped vehicles detecting potholes and whatnot. I mean, 99% accuracy is impressive, but what if the sensors are faulty or misinterpret data? And don't even get me started on relying on driver-submitted data . How do you ensure that's accurate too? Plus, isn't there some lag time between detecting a problem and actually fixing it? It just seems like more of the same old maintenance problems down the line .

omg I'm literally so hyped about Honda's Proactive Roadway Maintenance System !! this is like the future of road maintenance, can you imagine all the potholes being fixed and roads being safer? I mean, 99% accuracy on detecting damaged signs is insane! and the fact that it's using data from production vehicles to gather info is genius . I wish they'd make this thing available for everyone to use, like a mobile app or something . can you imagine being able to report road problems anonymously and helping keep our roads safe and well-maintained? it's a game-changer!

I'm loving the idea of sensor-equipped vehicles helping out with road repairs . It's about time we think outside the box (or in this case, the vehicle ) when it comes to maintenance costs and safety. The fact that Honda's system can detect 99% of damaged signs is insane! I wonder what other benefits we could get from having a vast network of drivers sharing data on road conditions... would make life so much easier for ODOT staff . And the potential to integrate this tech into autonomous taxi services? Mind blown . Can't wait to see where Honda takes this project next

I think this tech is kinda cool , but also has some major caveats . Like, yeah, sensor-equipped vehicles can def detect potholes and other hazards, but how reliable are these sensors in the wild? Are they gonna get clogged up with dust and debris or something? And what about power supply? If you're driving on a long stretch of highway, do your sensors just run out of juice?

And then there's the whole verification thing... yeah, having humans verify sensor picks is cool and all, but it also means that ODOT has to have more staff on hand. That's just not feasible for every road. Plus, I'm worried about bias - are the sensors gonna be calibrated to detect only certain types of hazards?

Still, if this tech can save some $$ for Ohio's DOT and improve safety, I'm all for it

I think this is kinda awesome ! I mean, can you imagine having an AI system that's constantly monitoring the roads and reporting back to ODOT about any issues? It would be so helpful for keeping our roads safe and in good condition. Plus, with autonomous taxis on the horizon, it'd be even more game-changing . The fact that Honda is already saving Ohio $4.5 million a year is huge . But what I'm curious about is how they're gonna make sure the data is accurate and reliable? They can't just rely on sensors alone, right?

just imagine having cars literally driving around collecting info on the roads we use daily ... sounds like a no-brainer to me, gotta save those 4.5 million bucks & make our roads safer too ... but I'm curious, what happens when it comes to addressing the issue of potholes? just a minor crack gets filled with sensors

I'm so stoked about this news ! Like, imagine having self-driving cars that can actually help fix roads before they become a real issue? It's like, genius! I mean, the idea of using data from production vehicle sensors to identify problems on the road is so smart. And it's not just about saving costs, but also improving safety and reducing accidents .

I'm curious though, what kind of analytics and verification processes are they talking about? Like, how do they make sure that sensor picks aren't totally off the mark? I know it sounds like a lot of techy stuff, but I just want to get a better understanding of how this works . And also, if drivers can anonymously share data with ODOT and report problems on the road, that's like, super cool too! It feels like we're finally moving towards more efficient and safer transportation systems .

I'm definitely following this project forward and seeing where it goes . If they can make this technology work seamlessly, it could be a game-changer for Ohio's roads and beyond .

So what can we learn from this? Like, think about it, we're already driving around with sensors that can detect tons of stuff - our phones, our cars... We just need to start thinking like, why not use those same sensors to help us, and the roads, be safer? It's all about leveraging tech for good, you know?

And I'm excited about this pilot program 'cause it shows us that even in a traditional industry like transportation, we can still find ways to innovate. Plus, if it can save them $4.5 million... that's just a win-win!

But what really got me is the idea of anonymous data sharing - can you imagine how much more accurate our reports could be if everyone had a say? It's all about collaboration, I think. We need to work together to make things better.

The whole is more than the sum of its parts! - Aristotle

I think it's so cool that Honda is working with ODOT to test this technology. It makes total sense that sensors on vehicles could help detect road hazards and save a ton of money on maintenance. I mean, who doesn't love saving cash?

I'm loving the idea of sensor-equipped vehicles helping ODOT spot potholes and other road hazards! It's kinda like our school's traffic management system where we use cameras to monitor traffic flow during events . Just imagine how cool it'd be if our own cars could report issues on the road, anonymously or not ! The fact that Honda's tech can detect 99% of damaged signs is crazy! I wonder if we could use similar technology in our school's infrastructure, like monitoring the condition of playground equipment . It'd be awesome to have a safer and more efficient school environment!

I was on my daily commute last week when I hit a massive pothole on the highway and thought to myself, why hasn't ODOT fixed this road yet?! But then I read about Honda's new system that uses sensors in vehicles to detect road hazards and I'm like wow! This is genius . I mean, can you imagine driving around and reporting potholes anonymously? It's like a modern-day version of the Neighborhood Watch program .

I think this technology has huge potential to save time and money on road maintenance. I just hope they're able to get it down to a point where it's easy to use and not too complicated for your average driver . And who knows, maybe one day we'll have autonomous taxi services that can even report potholes themselves! That would be something else .

This is kinda cool, I guess . I mean, who doesn't love the idea of having self-driving cars that can report potholes and stuff? But, like, what's to stop hackers from messing with the sensors or something? And what about all the extra data being collected? Is it just gonna be stored somewhere and forgotten? It's definitely an interesting idea, but we need to think about the bigger picture here. I'm all for trying new tech, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves, right?

Sensors are the future of road maintenance! Who needs human eyes when machines can spot potholes & hazards? $4.5M saved by Ohio's DOT is just the beginning - this tech could revolutionize the game!

I'm stoked to see innovation happening on our roads! Testing sensor-equipped vehicles to detect potholes and other hazards is a game-changer. The fact that 99% of damaged signs were detected accurately is mind-blowing . It's not just about saving money, it's also about keeping us safe on the road. I'd love to see this tech rolled out in every state! Plus, the idea of drivers being able to share data anonymously to report problems is genius . It's like having a crowdsourced reporting system for our roads . One thing to watch: how do they ensure accuracy and verify sensor picks? It sounds like it's all about the advanced analytics and human verification process . But overall, I'm hyped to see where this technology takes us!