A new project taken by the International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) will provide precise and credible data on the condition of the roads in the city for the government to take quick action.
The project involves running a car fitted with high-end cameras on city roads and capturing images of the potholes and total condition of the roads from various angles, said IIITH Director P. J. Narayanan.
The video and the pictures captured will be taken to the lab and the information algorithms will detect the problem areas and reasons, and suggest solutions from various aspects. The information can be used by the GHMC and other Government agencies for coming out with perfect remedy.
Plugging gaps
As of now, the car is being tested on the IIIT-H campus under controlled conditions and further improvements would be made before the final product is used. “We will showcase it to the government once we plug all the gaps in its functioning,” Prof. Narayanan said, adding that it might take a few more months for it to be rolled out. “It will not be a driver-less car.”
Though as of now a driver will be used for this project, Prof. Narayanan said, the IIIT-H is also working out on various aspects of a driver-less car like many other institutes in the world. While sending a driver-less car onto the city roads may not be possible at present due to various challenges, including traffic discipline, Prof. Narayanan feels that the research would help in understanding other facets of technology.
The emerging facets of that particular research could be used to make driving safe or guide the driver on a perfect path and also making the car itself much safer. He said man landing on the moon had not resulted in direct benefit to the humankind but the research developed in that mission gave a fillip to new technologies that left a positive impact on human beings.