RoadIT 1.0

Development of a sensor-based and AI-supported traffic detector for real-time analysis of road surface wear – RoadIT1.0

Duration: 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025
Funding: Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV)

A measurement system based on acceleration and temperature sensors, integrated into the road surface, will be used to collect current and historical stress data. The vibrations generated by vehicles passing over the road are to be translated into vehicle information using artificial intelligence techniques. This information, together with the temperature data, is transmitted wirelessly to a live web dashboard, visualised and interpreted in accordance with current road construction guidelines.

Technical components (sensor elements, computing hardware for AI integration, communication gateways) are being tested as part of preliminary studies. Once a practical integration concept for construction has been drawn up, the components will be combined across three different test scales. By comparing the sensor data collected with various types of (vehicle) load, the AI model will be trained and the hardware concept optimised. The final test section in the urban area is to be maintained and monitored throughout the project duration.

Outside the motorway network, no measurement system is currently in use to provide realistic data on road surface stress caused by heavy goods traffic and climatic influences. However, such stress data is necessary to enable targeted rehabilitation of the road network and thus to sustainably extend the road’s service life. Systems used on the trunk road network are not employed in the municipal sector due to high installation and operating costs and a lack of flexibility. The aim is to integrate the developed system into pilot operations in the south of Leipzig as early as possible.

About the Geonetic Research Group