Status:
✅ Finalized
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Context
Maintaining Fujisawa’s urban road network requires the timely identification of potholes, faded road markings and other surface defects.
Traditional inspection has relied largely on citizen reports and periodic manual surveys, making systematic city-wide monitoring resource-intensive.
Specific problem
Fujisawa’s roads were inspected only reactively (citizen reports, occasional manual surveys), with no systematic, city-wide, low-cost way to detect faded markings, potholes and surface defects.
Current situation and gap
Road-condition assessment depended on manual, reactive processes rather than continuous automated survey.
A dedicated inspection-vehicle fleet covering every inhabited street would be costly to run.
Specific need
Fujisawa City needs continuous, city-wide road-condition data without the cost of a dedicated inspection-vehicle fleet — which reactive, citizen-report-based inspection cannot provide.
Expected outcome
– A camera-based road-condition assessment approach mounted on vehicles the city already operates across its street network, automatically detecting worn markings, potholes and other defects.
– The approach should give the city a regularly updated, city-wide picture of road-surface condition to prioritise maintenance work.
– A regularly updated, city-wide picture of road-surface condition, flagging worn markings, potholes and other defects by location.
Who would use the results
City maintenance teams, to prioritise road-repair and maintenance work.
Expected impact
Earlier detection and more systematic prioritisation of road-maintenance work could be achieved by drawing on vehicles the city already operates, rather than requiring a dedicated inspection fleet.
Space. Fujisawa, citywide, along the routes of city-operated vehicles.
Scale. City scale.
Data. City-operated vehicles that already travel the street network as part of routine operations, available as a baseline sensing platform. Camera-based road-surface defect data, with location and timing, can be generated during experimentation.
Experience. The city has previous experience testing vehicle-mounted sensing approaches for infrastructure monitoring.
Get in touch to express your interest or explore how you can contribute.
