Shellharbour City Council is implementing an artificial intelligence (AI) camera system to rapidly identify defects in roads and footpaths, helping reduce risk and improve maintenance efficiency.
A specialised smart camera front mounted to Council vehicles is being used to capture images of roads, pathways and related infrastructure whilst driving within the Shellharbour Local Government Area (LGA) to create a comprehensive defect database.
Caption: A view of the AI defect detection system and some of the included data. Image courtesy of Shellharbour City Council
The AI system automatically identifies a wide range of defects such as potholes, cracks, uneven surfaces, litter, overhanging vegetation and branches, and roadkill.
Other maintenance issues such as faded line marking, damaged signage and graffiti are also detected.
The information includes photographic evidence mapped with GPS location, while all defects are rated on a scale of severity to help prioritise maintenance work.
"The technology involved in this system is incredible and is already showing great promise for increasing community safety and efficiency for our work crews," Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer said.
"We're able to identify hazards, triage them and better forward plan works".
"It also has the potential to reduce reactive maintenance and help lower repair costs over time."
Council still encourages the community to report any concerns they have with public infrastructure so they can be considered in maintenance programs.
Council plans to add a second camera before the end of 2025. The additional camera will help to survey the 500-kilometre road network and 300 kilometres of pathways faster.
KEY MESSAGES:
- Council is using AI camera technology to automatically detect road and footpath defects, improving safety and speed up maintenance.
- The system captures images with GPS data to create a detailed defect database, helping prioritise repairs based on severity.
- Early results show the technology is helping identify hazards faster, reduce reactive maintenance and improve efficiency for work crews.
