CANTERBURY Bankstown will be the first metropolitan council – one of only two across NSW – using dashboard-mounted cameras on its street sweeping vehicles to help provide better maintenance of the city’s roads.
Designed and built in NSW by Deloitte, Asset AI software will highlight – and eventually predict – critical safety issues like damaged signage, faded line markings, potholes and rutting, and escalate them based on severity and safety risk to council maintenance planners.
It’s also expected that as it develops over time, the artificial intelligence (AI) software will draw on weather data and learn to predict issues like potholes or cracks before they even form.
The NSW Government has backed the AI pilot project as preventative road maintenance that can slash costs for councils by reducing the reliance on time-consuming and costly road audits while also extending the lifespan of asphalt and bitumen roads through timely intervention.
Traditionally, councils carry out road audits every three to five years, but Asset AI has the potential to deliver a snapshot of the condition of the NSW local road network every fortnight.
Mayor Bilal El-Hayek welcomed being part of the trial and said it would help the council “manage the conditions of the road network more effectively”.
Minister for Roads, John Graham, said keeping roads safe and in good condition were some of the biggest challenges for local councils, but the new technology would help cut costs, accelerate maintenance and prioritise safety.
“One of the most exciting aspects is that the system will begin to draw on weather data and learn to predict issues like potholes or cracks before they form and help councils prioritise repairs based on potential future risk,” he said.
“This will keep NSW at the forefront of technology-led solutions to what are some of the most essential services for all communities. No one wants to see potholes on the roads and this could be part of seeing fewer of them in future.”
