Street sweeping vehicles are being deployed in regional NSW and the south-west of Sydney, equipped with dashboard mounted cameras in a trial to assist councils with preventative road maintenance programs.
Asset AI software, designed and built in NSW by Deloitte, will be used to highlight and eventually predict road safety issues including damaged signage, faded line markings, potholes and rutting while escalating them based on severity and safety risk to council maintenance planners.
With regular council road audits occurring on three to five year cycles, this new technology has the potential to shorten this period to as little as every fortnight.
The trial comes following numerous councils recently appearing before the Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport’s Inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national regional, rural, and remote road network, outlining the challenges local governments face in maintaining extensive regional road networks.
Roads Australia appeared at a public hearing, following a submission to the inquiry earlier in the year, highlighting the need for a more resilient road network, increased collaboration and strong preventative maintenance measures.
The Asset AI software is being trialed in Canterbury-Bankstown and Griffith to ensure the platform can be effectively utilised across regional and metropolitan contexts with the aim to expand trials to other council in 2024.
Find out more here.