A Bengaluru-based engineer has developed an AI-powered system that can detect potholes, pinpoint their exact location and even identify the contractor responsible for repairing the damaged road.
Engineer Gaurav Sen showcased the system in a video shared on Instagram in collaboration with ChatGPT India. The innovation quickly gained attention on social media for using artificial intelligence to tackle one of the country’s most common civic problems.
The system uses a dashcam, GPS and an accelerometer installed in a car to collect road data while driving. The footage is then analysed using AI vision models that can identify potholes of different sizes, including those that are difficult to spot from a distance as they often resemble speed breakers.
Gaurav Sen built the application using Codex. Once a pothole is detected, the app records the relevant information and processes it using OpenAI’s technology to generate accurate results.
What makes the system unique is its ability to identify who is responsible for fixing the damaged road. To achieve this, Sen modified the app to scan through nearly 2,900 government contracts and match the pothole with the contractor assigned to that stretch of road.
The app can generate a detailed report within four seconds, including a photo of the pothole, its exact location, the tender number and the officer responsible for the road. This can help authorities act faster, especially when roads are still under warranty and contractors are required to carry out repairs without additional government spending.
During a test drive to work, the AI system detected 12 potholes along Sen’s route, creating documented evidence that could be used to file complaints with civic authorities.
The innovation has received widespread praise online, with many users suggesting that government agencies could adopt similar AI-powered systems to identify damaged roads and speed up repairs. What started as a personal solution to a daily commuting problem could soon become a smarter way to improve road maintenance across India.
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