Honda Partners with DriveOhio to Launch Innovative Road Safety Pilot Program
Honda has joined forces with DriveOhio to initiate a revolutionary road safety initiative aimed at collecting real-time data to identify potential roadway issues before they escalate. Known as the Proactive Roadway Maintenance System, this cutting-edge technology leverages advanced vision and LiDAR sensors to detect challenges such as obstructed or damaged road signs, deteriorating guardrails, rough surfaces, and emerging potholes.
During this pilot program, representatives from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) tested Honda vehicles over approximately 3,000 miles across central and southeastern Ohio, navigating various urban and rural settings in diverse weather conditions at different times of the day. The ODOT teams leveraged smart dashboards, developed collaboratively by Honda and tech provider Parsons, to examine identified road and infrastructure deficiencies in real-time.
The University of Cincinnati also played a crucial role by integrating sensors into Honda’s vehicles, developing the damage detection feature, and supporting ODOT throughout the pilot phase. Data captured by these vehicles was processed through Edge AI models and transmitted to Honda’s cloud platform, which autonomously generated maintenance work orders for ODOT teams, prioritized by urgency.
Although the pilot was limited in scope, results were impressive, with the Proactive Roadway Maintenance System demonstrating up to 99% accuracy in detecting damaged or blocked signs, 93% accuracy for damaged guardrails, and 89% for pothole identification. The advanced system also showcased capabilities to spot severe shoulder drop-offs often overlooked during standard inspections and accurately assess road roughness.
If scaled up, Honda estimates that this automated maintenance system could result in annual savings exceeding $4.5 million for ODOT. Moving forward, Honda and its partners are exploring methods to enhance the Proactive Roadway Maintenance System for broader implementation. The company also envisions integrating similar technology into consumer vehicles, allowing drivers to anonymously report road conditions and contribute to safer road infrastructures.
