Researchers at the University of Waterloo have been experimenting with artificial intelligence to log problem areas before they turn into potholes.
"This type of research that we're doing at the university focuses on video analytics," said John Zelek, an associate professor of engineering at the school.
A camera is mounted on a vehicle, which scans the road as it drives, logging the characteristics of different cracks and craters in the pavement.
"Computing the specifications of that particular distress. The length, the width, the depth, things of that nature," Zelek explained.
Zelek says collecting this data ahead of pothole season will allow municipalities to prevent potholes instead of reacting to them once they form. [Read more]