Understanding changes in a road surface using Connected Vehicle gyroscopic data
This case study uses Compass Road Intelligence and custom data services
Transport authorities must continually monitor road assets for changes in quality caused by use of an asset, or by other factors that affect road quality such as weather. Compass Road Intelligence measured the changes in road rideability caused by recent flooding in Lismore, located in Northern NSW. The flooding had caused significant network-wide road deterioration events and potholes.
Road Intelligence uses the embedded gyroscope found in Connected Vehicles to determine whether there is excessive change in a vehicle’s roll, pitch, yaw, or z-axis by passively measure changes without any special hardware, on any road that car drives on, in real-time.
Connected vehicles helped us to quickly map the level of damage and compare before and after the floods by using passive road surveys that we get constantly from the cars. Road Intelligence data was able to show a clear change in the road rideability quality and z-axis. Compared to a week before the floods, road rideability quality declined by half from 2.58 to 3.92. We also recorded a large negative z-axis event, which is showing vehicles at the most violent events falling into potholes and other defects.
Below is a map of the changes in roughness across Lismore for 1 week before and 1 week after the flooding.
Comparing the tables from before and after the flooding shows that:
- There was significant deterioration within one week (likely due to water ingress on the road)
- A doubling of the comfort index (indicating significant deterioration)
- A significant increase in the roll and z-axis readings