Mercedes-Benz & Boston Team Up to Map Uneven Roads with Vehicle Data
Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) and the City of Boston have joined forces in a pioneering pilot project to tackle uneven roads. The initiative, a first of its kind in North America for Mercedes-Benz, uses anonymized vehicle data to identify road hot spots and potential causes of damage.
MBUSA is employing an advanced algorithm to process data from participating vehicles equipped with sophisticated suspension systems. These vehicles register bumps and their intensity, providing valuable insights into the condition of Boston's 2,000 lane miles of roadway. The city currently relies mostly on manual approaches for monitoring and maintenance.
The pilot project is taking place in Boston, with the city's Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics and Citywide Analytics Team evaluating MBUSA's technology. They will compare surface damage analytics to existing data and conduct on-street inspections to validate the findings. The goal is to learn from this pilot to provide smoother roads and mitigate biases in reporting via Boston 311.
Vehicle owners must give consent via the Mercedes me connect App for their data to be used. The data is fully anonymized and aggregated, ensuring privacy. Patterns and hot spots of uneven roads will be identified, helping to inform targeted maintenance and repairs.
This innovative partnership between MBUSA and the City of Boston aims to transform road maintenance, making it more efficient and data-driven. By leveraging vehicle data, the city hopes to provide smoother roads for its residents and visitors, ultimately improving overall mobility and safety.