• Project Description
• Research Team
• Project Objectives
• Expected results
• Scientific Reports
• Scientific Papers

The main objective of PAV3M is to offer a holistic platform that couples technological development and innovation for automated visual pavement inspection with a multi-tier modular solution that links together PMMS and PMS. On the technology side, PAV3M will develop an automated, highly integrated and portable, visual pavement inspection & management system for traffic-speed pavement distress monitoring and analysis mountable on non-specialized vehicles.

For attaining the main objective of PAV3M we have set to achieve the following objectives:

• Develop and maintain an Integrated Collaborative System based on integrated modules GPS (Global Positioning System) and GSM (Global System Communication) and real 5/28 time communication with road inspection platform based on integration of innovative hardware elements for road monitoring and maintenance

• Achieve a compact and cost-effective system design through integration of innovative hardware elements, e.g. structured light sources to calculate the depth and surface information. Its integration is meant to replace the traditional time-of-flight 3D laser scanners, which are used in pavement monitoring systems for acquiring profile information;

• Develop a road inspection platform that can operate at traffic-speeds. Data Collection is one of the most hard, critical, and time consuming exercises engineers perform in the Pavement Management cycle. Speed traffic operation will significantly save time and will also reduce risks (accidents, traffic congestion, etc) related to data collection. • Develop a portable and easy mountable system that can be installed on non-specialized vehicles;

• Develop real life data processing algorithms and software for on-site data acquisition and analysis. • Improve the reliability of the sensing system through sensor fusion (GPS, accelerometer, magnetic compass, etc). Given the existing technology and cost requirements, there exist limits on the quality of collected data (frame rate, image quality under certain conditions, complexity, missing acceleration feedback, etc.). These restrictions can be partly removed by fusing image data with data acquired by other appropriate sensors (accelerometers for measuring the inclination and verical vibrations, sonar for initial calibration, etc);

• Integrate public mapping services into PAV3M such as OpenStreetMaps (www.openstreetmap.org), Google Maps or Bing Maps (Microsoft);

• Provide a cost- and resource-effective system which makes its large-scale exploitation possible, thus shortening road inspection cycles, minimize the number of disruptive road closers, and optimize road management and afferent costs;

• Develop robust and efficient image processing and analysis methods and achieve their computationally efficient software implementation;

• Develop an adaptive forecasting intelligent model and predictive algorithms in order to predict the possible evolutions of defects or to anticipate specific interventions;

• Develop an integrated cost-benefit analysis model that addresses key aspects of pavement maintenance thus reducing costs associated with road maintenance;

• Develop an integrated risk management model that assist managers from e-auction through maintenance process of pavement management and maintenance thus reducing costs and minimized risk associated with pavement process;

• Setup a database for storing pavement related data accessible through an interface which allows easy browsing and retrieval;

• Transfer the developed technology for its further exploitation by the economic agents involved;

• Personalized the system as a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) offered by CITST for commercial road construction and maintenance companies, regional road and transportation agencies, research organizations and statistical agencies, etc;

• To raise awareness of a) potential beneficiaries of the developed technology/service, b) scientific community by a large scale dissemination of the project;

• To contribute to the professional training of young researchers, engineers and master students.