Challenge
The University of Michigan was looking for a way to help the Department of Transportation improve road conditions control. For that purpose, they decided to build a specialized app that would collect accurate, real-time information on current road statuses (e.g. it would detect the areas which needed repair, snow/ice removal, or other types of maintenance). To collect this data they've decided to enhance the anti-lock braking system (ABS) of the department’s vehicles with a special monitoring function. To analyze and visualize the information they've also required a mobile solution.
Solution
- The mobile application was based on Android OS. Its primary features included comprehensive roadway monitoring, real-time data capture, and geopositioning.
- It has also recorded the vehicle’s speed, RPM, pedal switches, throttle, directions, and many other metrics.
- If a user was offline, the app would store the data and automatically upload it as soon as the device connected to the network.
Result
The main factor ensuring the app's efficiency is that it allows the members of the department to monitor the road situation during their everyday routine, thus they do not become distracted from their primary tasks. At the same time, the solution allows repair crews to react and deploy preventive measures faster. This resulted in cost savings and an increase in overall road safety.
