Surface Events
Benefit from reliable information about road network surface events to detect damages and abnormal conditions and react in a more targeted manner.
When vehicles act as pothole detectors
The earlier you detect emerging problems on roadway infrastructure, the faster you can take the right measures to fix them – for greater safety and more efficient maintenance.
Mercedes-Benz data supports road network maintenance by identifying problems and damages to the road surface using data from the Mercedes-Benz vehicle fleet. This early detection of potholes and other surface events via vehicle sensors enables road authorities, cities and municipalities to increase maintenance efficiency and improve road safety.
Currently, many cities and road authorities evaluate roads every 4 to 5 years using high-resolution measurement vehicles provided by engineering firms. Between these measurements, on-site visits occur, but do not fully cover the entire road network.
Our Surface Events solution provides a more precise, data-based approach to bridge the long gaps between these measurements and serves as a valuable complement to specialized vehicles. It can determine not only where events occur, but also their intensity and evolution over time, helping authorities plan ahead and prioritize maintenance resources.
Get in touch with us!
Speak with our experts to explore Surface Events and get the answers you need.
Contact usWhat data is included?
Whether cities and municipalities, road authorities or road maintenance departments: The Surface Events dataset is the perfect complement to data from dedicated measurement vehicles to compensate for the "data-less" time between measurements. The following data points are available:
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Surface Event ID
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GPS Position
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Heading
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Recent Detection Date
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Recent Surface Event Intensity
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Initial Detection Date
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Initial Surface Event Intensity
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Detection Count
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Event Type
Your advantages at a glance
Optimize your road quality-related use cases by incorporating near real-time information on potholes and other road damage or surface events generated by the Mercedes‑Benz vehicle fleet.
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Transparency on the status quo of the road surface
A comprehensive overview of the current condition of road surfaces provides greater transparency and enables targeted planning of maintenance measures.
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Optimized road maintenance in terms of resource allocation and planning
A transparent overview of the condition of road surfaces enables more efficient resource allocation and more precise planning strategies.
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Ad-hoc fixes of critical danger spots
A transparent overview of the condition of the road surfaces enables the rapid elimination of critical danger spots.
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Digital twin of the development of a road profile
A transparent overview of the development of the road profiles is made possible by digital visualisation techniques.
More safety and a head start in knowledge using a three-step approach
Information on the condition of the road surface is collected anonymously via various sensors in the connected Mercedes‑Benz vehicle fleet. This provides an excellent basis for covering many regions worldwide. Surface Events makes the collected data available at GPS level. Reliable data is determined using a three-stage approach.
1. Data collection
For the specific use case of surface events in a certain region (e.g. potholes, scratches, manhole covers), we only collect the specifically required data if the vehicle drivers have given their consent to provide the data. The data is then continuously sent from the Mercedes‑Benz vehicle fleet to the Mercedes‑Benz backend for the defined period of time. Various data points are collected by high-quality sensors.
2. Detection of event intensity
In the Mercedes‑Benz backend, an algorithm calculates the average intensity of road surface events. Based on multiple passes with additional vehicles, higher accuracy of the calculated surface event is achieved. Detection can be performed simultaneously over the entire range of data collected. We generate highly accurate data based on GPS position, vehicle direction (compass direction), and damper level. However, we "obfuscate" the time stamp to a certain extent to make it impossible to track a single person for privacy reasons.
3. Clustering von Einzelereignissen
By clustering individual events, we achieve higher data quality and ensure maximum data protection. We then use the data product to provide the aggregated and precise GPS position and direction of the event cluster, the number of passes per surface event and the intensity of the detected road surface event.
Arrange your personal consultation!
Our connectivity specialists will advise you on potential use cases and help you explore how Surface Events can support your business or solution.