Hitachi’s new road scanning technology

Using advanced vehicle to vehicle communications, this data could be shared between cars and trucks using the same stretch of road. Multiple alerts over road surface issues could also be used to highlight the need for debris removal or road repairs to road authorities.
January 11, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

233 Hitachi Automotive Systems (Hitachi) has developed a new technology package that allows the detection of road surface problems, including holes and small debris. The system works while a vehicle is being driven and uses the firm’s in-vehicle stereo camera technology. This allows for accurate detection of small road surface issues.

The firm intends to link the package to vehicle suspension systems. This would allow vehicles to respond quickly to any surface irregularities, immediately prior to passing over them. The firm is working on a new development that would tune the vehicle’s stability in accordance to the condition of the road surface.

The firm says that its stereo cameras are also able to detect pedestrians as well as other objects and can determine distances accurately. The system is able to detect surface irregularities quickly accurately according to the firm and has been designed to ignore false readings caused by dirt or shadows in the roadway. The high performance readings made by the stereo cameras have been key to identifying shadows or dirt, aided by a sophisticated algorithm that can analyse the image information extremely rapidly, according to Hitachi.

Using advanced vehicle to vehicle communications, this data could be shared between cars and trucks using the same stretch of road. Multiple alerts over road surface issues could also be used to highlight the need for debris removal or road repairs to road authorities.

Maintenance

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Brisbane’s Airport: Innovative Management of One of the World’s Busiest Runways
    June 26, 2014
    When it comes to runways, there are few busier then Brisbane’s main runway. Servicing both domestic and international travel, with over 200,000 movements per year, operating without a curfew Brisbane’s main runway is the busiest in Australia. For maintenance, crews only have a limited period of time to determine the pavement condition, normally during the night, making the detection of pavement faults difficult. To resolve this issue, a new high speed pavement scanner was used to rapidly survey the pavem
    Read More
  • Advanced driving simulator developed by TRL
    July 4, 2018
    In the UK, TRL is introducing a sophisticated driving simulator that will help with developing transport infrastructure as well as research into driving. This advanced system is intended to assist in driving future transport policy, customer safety and road network performance. The new simulator can be used for behavioural research into driving and can be used as a validation tool. The complete simulator package features three main systems as it consists of the new full size DigiCar, a portable version (Mi
    Read More
  • Advanced driving simulator developed by TRL
    December 13, 2018
    In the UK, TRL is introducing a sophisticated driving simulator that will help with developing transport infrastructure as well as research into driving. This advanced system is intended to assist in driving future transport policy, customer safety and road network performance The new simulator can be used for behavioural research into driving and can be used as a validation tool. The complete simulator package features three main systems as it consists of the new full-size DigiCar, a portable version (M
    Read More
  • Improved excavation from Hitachi
    July 6, 2020
    Hitachi says that its next generation Zaxis-7 medium excavators offer efficiency and versatility. The new ZX250-7, ZX300-7 and ZX350-7 models are Stage V compliant and feature improved fuel economy as well as the advanced TRIAS III hydraulic system.
    Read More

Highlighted Content