Road Guard: AI-Powered Road Damage Detection and Reporting System

Abstract

Potholes are a major problem on Indian roads, creating serious risks for drivers and potentially damaging vehicles. Unfortunately, identifying and reporting these hazards often still depends on outdated methods like manual inspections or public complaints. These traditional practices are not only slow and labor-intensive, but they're also vulnerable to human error, which can lead to inconsistent responses. This is especially problematic in busy urban areas where timely maintenance is essential. To address this issue, we propose Road Guard, an innovative AI-powered solution for automatic road damage detection and reporting. Using advanced computer vision techniques and the YOLO v4 model, Road Guard can quickly identify potholes in real-time. It employs a high-definition camera combined with AMD Kria 260 hardware and GPS for accurate location tagging. Once a pothole is detected, the information is uploaded to a cloud server and made available through a user-friendly mobile app for both citizens and road maintenance teams. By minimizing reliance on human efforts, Road Guard provides a smart, efficient alternative to traditional inspection methods. This not only ensures quicker repairs but also enhances road safety for everyone on the road.