BENGALURU: The Bengaluru East City Corporation (BECC) has deployed Artificial Intelligence to digitally map nearly 1,600 km of roads, identify potholes and assess road conditions. The mapping is part of a technology-driven pilot initiative to improve road maintenance.
On Wednesday, BECC Commissioner D S Ramesh said AI technology special cameras were mounted on survey vehicles and approximately 1,600 km of roads across BECC limits were scanned using the YOLO image-processing model. “Based on this survey, accurate data has been collected on road conditions, potholes, pavement distress, road cuts made for utility connections, and other infrastructure-related issues,” the commissioner said.
He said the AI assessment has classified roads into five categories based on their condition, from roads in good condition to severely damaged or unpaved roads, to enable the corporation to prioritise road repair and development works scientifically.
“To bring every road under a digital management system, each road has been assigned a unique Road Identification Number. Details such as the road name, ward number, GPS location, road length, photographs and damage assessment have been integrated onto a single digital platform,” Ramesh said.
He said that using a Vision Language Model, the length and width of every pothole are being measured accurately. “According to the AI report, approximately 144 sqm of patchwork is required in Vibhuthipura ward. Based on such precise data, the corporation will be able to accurately estimate the quantity of hot mix asphalt, construction materials and project costs required for road repairs,” he said.
In the first phase, roads in all 50 wards of the corporation have been assessed. The survey identified approximately 144 potholes in Vibhuthipura ward, with an average of 17 potholes per km.
The exact location, dimensions, depth, GPS coordinates, and photographic evidence of every pothole have been uploaded to the AI dashboard. Based on these findings, the commissioner instructed officials to prepare an action plan to transform Vibhuthipura into a pothole-free ward within one week on a pilot basis.