With an extensive manufacturing and development center in Ohio, Honda partnered with the DriveOhio division of the Ohio Department of Transportation for a two-year study that evaluated whether vehicle-generated data would be effective in reporting roads in need of repair or reduced signage and directions to the transportation agency. In a two-year pilot program, in partnership with the University of Cincinnati, Parsons Corporation and I-Probe Inc., Ohio DOT employees drove Hondas equipped with various cameras and lidar to cover nearly 3,000 miles of roads in the state.
Honda introduced a prototype Proactive Roadway Maintenance System in 2021, with a program set up to detect problems for any type of vehicle, including poor road quality, damaged guardrails or road barriers, steep or deteriorating shoulder slopes, and even inadequate or missing roadway striping and damaged or worn signage.
“Production vehicle sensors are designed primarily for driving and safety – not for asset monitoring – but their ability to continuously collect data during daily driving creates unique value at scale,” Daisuke Oshima, president and CEO of i-Probe, said in a statement Thursday. “Unlocking that value requires analyzes specifically designed with these characteristics in mind, and this project shows how vehicle sensor data can complement existing inspection programs and support more proactive asset management.”
Human staff verified what the cameras picked up and reported to the Department of Transportation using Parsons’ technology and the i-Robot verified the data and conducted a more subjective critique of road roughness and the quality of lane markings and signage. Ultimately, according to Honda, the program proved 99% successful in finding damaged or hidden signs, 93% for damaged guardrails, and 89% for potholes.
“By using real-time vehicle data to detect road hazards and infrastructure issues, Honda, ODOT and our project partners are demonstrating how smart, adaptive solutions can enhance safety, reduce costs and enhance safety for everyone sharing the road,” Sue Bai, chief engineer, sustainability and business development at American Honda, said in a statement Thursday.
Honda said Ohio’s DOT could save $4.5 million in road-related maintenance costs with the system due to a reduction in time spent on manual inspections, better repair scheduling and better planning for preventive maintenance. The automaker says it wants to find ways in the next phase of testing for its drivers to anonymously share data with the right agency and report problems on roads traveled, or spot areas that may need repairs in the future.
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