AI software to detect potholes on Surrey roads in national first
AI-powered computers inside county council vehicles will be used to detect potholes all over Surrey, the county council has said.
The cameras will be fitted to the dashboards of county council vehicles and photograph potholes as staff go about their business, which will then be automatically listed for repair.
As the technology develops and matures, further enhancements could see other common road defects – like missing signs and foliage overgrowth - also programmed for repair.
This means Highways Inspectors will no longer need to step onto the road to manually carry out inspections, making the process of road maintenance both easier and more efficient.
Potholes that don’t need immediate attention can also, thanks to this new technology, be tracked to ensure they are dealt with when required.
Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said, “We have some of the country’s busiest roads and we’re working incredibly hard to improve them, with nearly £300m allocated to repairing and improving Surrey’s roads and pavements over the next five years (2023 – 2028).
“Adopting this technology will mean we can proactively log and fix potholes, helping to ensure we have well-maintained roads across the county for our residents.
“We’re also resurfacing more roads and pavements than ever with 100 miles of roads and 30 miles of pavements resurfaced by our highways teams from April – December 2024 alone. This will make our highway network more resilient which will reduce the number of potholes that develop on our roads in the first place.
“I’m also pleased that we are pioneering AI technology to detect potholes as championed by the government just this week."
Connell McLaughlin, CEO of Route Reports said, "We’re thrilled to formalise this long-term partnership with Surrey County Council, who were among our earliest supporters and collaborators in developing Route Reports’ AI road maintenance platform.
“Their feedback and hands-on involvement played a key role in refining our defect detection technology to ensure it meets the real-world needs of the community. This partnership exemplifies how innovative solutions and local expertise can come together to make roads safer, more efficient, and more sustainable."
It makes Surrey the first council in the UK to step away from manual inspections, relying solely on AI and video software to log and programme road repairs.