I-Corps: Automated pavement condition survey system to improve cost-effectiveness

这个I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一个更具成本效益的自动化路面状况数据收集系统。在路面管理系统（PMS）中，准确、精确和可靠的路面状况数据将有助于路面工程师做出合理的维护决策。虽然手动数据收集方法是劳动密集型的，耗时的，并且经常不可能或不安全地执行，但自动数据收集方法近年来在工业中受到更多关注并取代手动调查。现有的自动路面数据收集方法存在不准确的问题。本项目中提出的收集技术旨在以可持续的成本提高自动路面数据收集的数据质量。所提出的技术的成功应用可能有助于维护交通基础设施，该技术可能会扩展到其他基础设施系统，如机场跑道，铁路，桥梁，和dams.This I-Corps项目是基于开发一个更具成本效益，自动化，路面状况数据收集系统。为了克服与现有自动路面数据收集方法相关的不准确问题，预计所提出的技术将使用更复杂和更智能的图像处理算法。 此外，拟议的系统力求通过利用数据分析能力来筛选和验证数据、查找有问题的数据和减少数据中的错误，从而改善数据质量保证。该系统的核心组成部分是：1）具有成本效益的3D图像采集硬件系统; 2）人工智能增强的路面图像处理算法; 3）基于系统设计和优化的数据质量保证。 该设计在技术开发过程中利用了传感器技术、统计理论、3D重建模型、深度学习算法和合成地面实况数据功能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a more cost-effective, automated, pavement condition data collection system. In a pavement management system (PMS), accurate, precise, and reliable pavement condition data will assist pavement engineers to make sound maintenance decisions. While a manual data collection method is labor intensive, time consuming, and frequently impossible or unsafe to perform, the automated data collection methods are receiving more attention in industry and replacing manual surveys in recent years. There are problems with inaccuracy with the existing automated pavement data collection methods. The collection technology proposed in this project is designed to improve the data quality of automated pavement data collection at a sustainable cost. A successful application of the proposed technology may help maintain transportation infrastructure and the technology may be extended to other infrastructure systems such as airport runways, railroads, bridges, and dams.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a more cost-effective, automated, pavement condition data collection system. To overcome the inaccuracy problems associated with existing automated pavement data collection methods, the proposed technology is expected to use more sophisticated and smarter image processing algorithms. In addition, the proposed system seeks improvements in data quality assurance by using data analysis capabilities to screen and validate the data, locating problematic data and reducing errors in the data. The core components of this system are: 1) a cost-effective 3D image acquisition hardware system; 2) artificial intelligence-enhanced pavement image processing algorithms; and 3) systemic design and optimization-based data quality assurance. The design utilizes sensor technologies, statistical theories, 3D reconstruction models, deep learning algorithms, and synthetic ground truth data functionality in the development of this technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.