Defined scope
Routes, categories and capture conditions are agreed for each operation.
SPECIALIST CAPABILITY · URBAN PAVEMENT
Pothole detection for pavement triage
Authorized imagery can flag visual signs of potholes, cracks, patches and subsidence along configured routes. Each record brings together available evidence and location context for technical review; it does not replace field inspection, measurement or an engineering report.
This page covers the triage of pavement indications. The urban-maintenance platform and the mobile enforcement vehicle have separate responsibilities.
Contextual evidence
A record may bring together imagery, position, route and time, depending on the available configuration.
Human review
The indication supports triage. Technical decisions and action remain with the competent owner.
Acceptance testing
Quality, coverage and integration are verified on the contracted configuration.
FROM ROUTE TO REVIEW
A verifiable workflow that does not turn an image into a report
Visual capture can reduce the effort spent looking for occurrences without context. It does not remove the technical steps needed to confirm cause, dimensions, risk or remedy.
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Authorized capture
Cameras and sources specified in the project record pavement along the routes and under the conditions defined for the operation.
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Visual triage
Computer vision marks regions with patterns compatible with configured categories without declaring a final diagnosis.
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Record context
Available imagery and location data are organized to support comparison, review and, when needed, a return to the location.
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Review and routing
An authorized person confirms the treatment. Compatible integrations can route the record into the municipal workflow.
WHAT MAY ENTER TRIAGE
Visual categories that help pavement teams
The contracted set may separate different patterns instead of recording every surface change as a “pothole”. Feasibility for each category depends on the imagery and acceptance criteria.
Potholes
Apparent material loss and visible cavities that warrant field confirmation.
Cracks
Linear or interconnected patterns that can feed a dedicated inspection queue.
Patches
Previously repaired areas with visible differences in edges, texture or apparent condition.
Subsidence and deformation
Visible surface changes that require measurement to determine size, cause and severity.
CONTRACT AND FIELD TEST
Responsible performance is performance measured on the project
Accuracy, location precision, processing rate and coverage should not be treated as universal guarantees. A useful comparison starts with a representative sample and criteria recorded before testing.
Included categories and examples of what remains out of scope.
Routes, speed, cameras, lighting and weather conditions assessed.
Review threshold, false positives, false negatives and sampling method.
Minimum location quality required for the intended purpose.
Validation owners and rules for routing or integration.
CLEAR RESPONSIBILITIES
A specialist capability, a vehicle and a platform are not the same thing
Separating these functions helps a city procure what it actually needs and define acceptance criteria for each part.
Pothole Detection
Organizes visual indications of pavement defects for triage and review.
You are on this pageOlho Vivo Patrol
The complete mobile capture and enforcement vehicle, composed for the contracted modules and operation.
Explore the vehicleUrban Maintenance
The platform for records, human review, priorities, integrations and occurrence follow-up.
Explore the platformTECHNICAL REFERENCE
DNIT terminology can guide the work; it does not certify the result on its own
DNIT standard 005/2003 — TER is a public reference for the names and definitions of defects in flexible and semi-rigid pavements. Using its vocabulary does not turn a visual classification into an inspection, measurement, engineering report or automatic compliance.
Read the DNIT publicationQUESTIONS FOR TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
What should be clear before procurement
Does pothole detection replace a technical field inspection?
No. Authorized imagery can produce georeferenced indications for triage. Confirming and measuring the defect, assigning a final classification, setting priority and choosing a remedy require the process and qualified professionals defined by the municipality. A visual record is not an engineering report.
Does the system automatically classify defects under DNIT rules?
Automatic compliance is not assumed. The terminology in DNIT standard 005/2003 may guide project categories, but an image does not replace measurements, field surveys or the technical criteria required for each purpose. Category use and acceptance criteria must be defined in the contract.
What is the detection accuracy?
There is no responsible universal percentage. Results vary with the camera, its position, lighting, speed, road condition, occlusions and the categories in scope. Each project should measure quality on a representative sample and record thresholds, false positives, false negatives and acceptance-test conditions.
Is every indication always located with sub-metre accuracy?
That is not published as a universal guarantee. Location quality depends on sensors, installation, the environment and available sources. The required accuracy must be defined for the intended use and demonstrated on the contracted configuration during acceptance testing.
Does an indication automatically open a work order?
Not by default. When the systems involved provide compatible interfaces, the record may be routed to a review queue or a work-order workflow. The municipality defines owners, validations, priorities and which steps may be automated.
Does the solution perform the same way at night and in rain?
Capture conditions affect the result. Lighting, reflections, water on the road, dirt, shadows, speed and occlusions must be included in the test plan. The operation should rely only on coverage and quality verified for the contracted conditions.
What is the difference between Pothole Detection, Olho Vivo Patrol and Urban Maintenance?
Pothole Detection is the specialist capability that organizes visual indications from the pavement. Olho Vivo Patrol is the complete mobile capture and enforcement vehicle, depending on the contracted modules. Urban Maintenance is the broader platform for records, human review, priorities, integrations and follow-up. A solution may combine all three without confusing their responsibilities.
Define what needs to be observed first
A consistent proposal starts with routes, categories, evidence, review rules, integration and acceptance testing. With that scope, Areatec can assess a suitable configuration without applying a laboratory number to every city.
Talk to Areatec