Automatic detection and repair of cracks in the road

Fixing cracks in the highway is a costly and time-consuming task. As a result, scientists have developed a system that automatically patches cracks in the road, helping to extend road life, thus saving time and maintenance costs.

The system was developed by Jonathan Holmes and colleagues from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GTRI). It was pulled by a small truck with a speed of only 5km / h. Equipped with a camera system with blue and red LEDs, the system is able to instantly detect tiny cracks, even 3mm wide. Tests show that the device can accurately determine over 83% of cracks in the road, before filling the cracks.

The system was tested on Georgia highways and other parking lots. Researchers are now using image-scanning software used to identify cracks and they plan to extend the device's application to 4-meter-wide lines.