Smart IOT Based Pothole Detection and Filling
System
2023 International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Communication, IoT and Security (ICISCoIS) | 979-8-3503-3583-5/23/$31.00 ©2023 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICISCOIS56541.2023.10100458
Priya Gurwani Prof. Rubi Mandal
Dept. of Information Technology Dept. of Information Technology
SVKM’s IOT Dhule SVKM’s IOT Dhule
priyagurwani09@gmail.com mandalruby@gmail.com
Mitali Jadhav
Dept. of Information Technology
SVKM’s IOT Dhule
mitalijadhav108@gmail.com
Abstract—In most developing nations, a failure to maintain
the current road infrastructure frequently results in the
growth of potholes, cracks, etc. One of the difficulties in
preventing accidents is dealing with excessive traffic. The
foundation of our project is the ability to spot the potholes and
fix them in two layers to prevent accidents. Additionally, the
device keeps track of potholes and reduces labor expenses. The
proposal describes an Internet-of-Things platform using basic
ultrasonic sensor, a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, a camera module
for the Raspberry Pi 5MP and a mobile phone with Wi-Fi
access. Our strategy is to fix the potholes in two layers after the
detection phase is complete. Plastic trash will be used in the
first layer so that it can be recycled, and the concrete layer of
the road material will fill the pothole in the second layer. This
filling allowed the plastic waste to be handled more effectively.
The governments and road maintenance authorities have
access to the information stored in the system. The suggested
solution provides local authorities with real-time, objective
data regarding the condition of a city's roadways a specific
area so they can take further action.
Keywords—Potholes, Internet-of-Things, ultrasonic sensor,
Raspberry Pi, Plastic trash
I. INTRODUCTION
One of the key forms of communication and an essential
component of a country's economy are its roads. Poor road
maintenance causes emerging nations to face a number of
difficulties, including a high rate of fatal accidents. The root
of this may potentially result in someone's death. As of
February 2017, there were 2,948,206 registered cars in the
nation, which put extra strain on the roads' use and led to
constant deterioration of the road surface, which resulted in
potholes. The majority of the issues cannot be avoided due
to their nature. Highway condition monitoring requires
physical manpower and is time-consuming, inefficient, and
costly. We require a lot of human resources, even if we
think of it as a solution. People will become financially
conscious as a result and spend a lot of money. Due to this,
several methods that employ relatively little manpower are
used to make the process simple and cost effective.
Here we proposed a prototype where potholes detection
and filling is done. Finding the potholes can be done using a
variety of methods. Some of them include vibration, vision-
979-8-3503-3583-5/23/$31.00 2023
c IEEE
Authorized licensed use limited to: Mukesh Patel School of Technology & Engineering. Downloaded on October 30,2023 at 06:08:43 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
Shruti Chaudhari
Dept. of Information Technology
SVKM’s IOT Dhule
shrutichaudhari850@gmail.com
Sejal Sonawane
Dept. of Information Technology
SVKM’s IOT Dhule
sejalsonawane23@gmail.com
based, and 3D reconstruction assessments. The first method
is very expensive because it needs high-end laser scanners,
whereas the second method is less accurate and less
dependable because of surface vibration brought on by
breakers and the joints used to expand the bridge. So, the
third is considering that it makes use of image processing
There are various existing methods for detecting
potholes, but each one has its own disadvantages. This essay
examines previous research in the field and suggests a
practical solution that could be very beneficial to
consumers.
Recently, there has been a lot of interest in
computer vision and deep learning techniques as potential
answers to the issues with pothole detecting systems.
However, using the system as a whole is rather expensive
because these applications require so much processing
power.
This study report focuses on filling and detection.
For the purpose of identifying potholes, we applied
canny edge detection-based segmentation. Edge detection
and thresholding approaches are those that many researchers
use the most. Using various image processing approaches,
pothole detection and counting helps to categorize different
road profile types. Different processing approaches,
including Potholes are found using edge detection along
with image filtering, segmentation, and clustering
techniques. The outcomes were assessed using the standard
performance metrics of precision, sensitivity, specificity,
and computing time.
A mechanism is proposed, in which any initial potholes will
be filled in two stages. The plastic trash came first, followed
by the concrete foundation. Over 15 million amounts of
plastic are consumed annually in India. We have applied the
3 R's methodology, which stands for reducing costs,
repairing potholes, and reusing plastic waste. Waste plastic
is the second significant issue that we all face. Plastic
garbage production is significantly rising. Shopping bags,
betel nut wrappers, cold drink bottles, and any types of
plastic that are only used once have a substantial negative
environmental and social impact. economic difficulty Plastic
is omnipresent in today's lifestyles and getting rid of it is a
big concern. Because it is a non-biodegradable product,
these materials contribute to environmental degradation and
472
 issues like breast cancer, animal and human reproductive
issues, and genital anomalies.
So, to overcome both of these problems, we are
developing a machine that will help to lessen the amount of
road debris and waste plastic that is dispersed throughout
our surroundings. By using an ultrasonic sensor to find
potholes and filling them with waste plastic, the amount of
time it takes to fix potholes decreases, as does the cost of
material. Effective recycling of waste plastic results in
longer-lasting roadways, which benefits everyone.
II.RELATED WORK AND ANALYSIS
Based on the technology used, the current study in this field,
the detection of potholes is divided into three parts. It
depicts the previous work's classification and will discuss
drawbacks of each of the techniques.
photos using Kinect, the depth of the curves was produced,
they estimated the volume roughly. Although the equipment's
price was much reduced, the error rate needed to evaluate the
potholes remained high.
C. Detection based on vibration:
Yu and Yu [7] used a laptop-connected accelerometer.
Along with this, an oscilloscope was also utilized to do
investigation on the discovered pothole. This system's
portability and affordability were two of its main benefits.
Another strategy utilized by Erikson et al. [6] involved the
deployment of a laptop with a GPS device called Pothole
Patrol (P2). It was put in an automobile and a three-axis
acceleration sensor analyzed the information gathered and
transferred it to the main server. The main problem with
these vibration-based approaches was that they gave
inaccurate results but couldn't tell the difference between a
speed breaker and a pothole.

III.METHODOLOGY:

Tools to be Used:
1) Raspberry Pi Board-

Fig 1. Pothole Detection Methods

A. Vision based Methods

Research findings were presented by Koch and Brilakis.

The drawback was that they could only detect one pothole
because they relied on still photographs. They suggested
utilizing MATLAB's 2D pictures and texture comparison to
find potholes through processing Toolboxes. A technique
for locating rough surfaces and potholes on highways using
spatial clustering was recently described by Buza et al. Koch Fig 2. Raspberry Pi Board
[2] et al [4]. used vision tracking onto several image frames
to evaluate the extent of potholes as a more sophisticated There is only one small computer board called the
approach. The limitations in this situation were the use of Raspberry Pi that can be used for a variety of purposes. It
expensive equipment, the challenge of obtaining video from can be connected to a computer display or TV and can be
a moving vehicle, and the length of time required for used with a standard mouse along with a keyboard.
computation during model training.
2) Cameras-
B. 3D Construction

1) To build an accurate digital image from the reflected pulse

lasers were utilized. Chang et al. projected 3D Cloud Points
with their altitudes using these lasers; while the findings were
precise, the method was expensive to put into practice. Li et
al. improved on this by introducing a far more affordable
method that made use of digital cameras and various coplanar
schemes to detect more accurate features. [1]

2) In an additional effort to lower the cost of the apparatus,

Moazzam et al. [3] and Joubert et al. [5] used the Xbox
Fig 3. Camera Module
Kinect sensor for pothole detection. They gathered depth

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 An IR filter integrated into the Highly Durable Camera is
intended to decrease the camera's susceptibility to infrared
radiation. Pictures taken outdoors look more authentic as a
result, by deleting this filter, the other images can be altered.
Without the filter, this camera can be used for night vision.
3) SD- Cards:
Fig 4. SD-Card
Since the Raspberry Pi lacks internal storage, an SD card is
required. This is the best, most portable solution because all
Raspberry Pi units have a dedicated SD card slot, and they
work with all Raspberry Pi models.
IV.METHODS
A. Detection through Image Processing
a. Gray Scale Filtering:
Gray scale filtering makes things easier to see. It
distinguishes between an image's highlights and shadow
details [10]. The first stage in image processing is to
transform an RGB image into a grayscale one. On the
original pothole image, as a pre-processing filter, filter was
used to enhance edge detection with less noise.
b. Gaussian Filtering:
A smoothing and blurring tool is a Gaussian filter. To
improve edge recognition with less noise, the original
pothole image was pre-processed using the Gaussian Filter
[8]. By comparing the values, it determines the outlines in
the grayscale image.
c. Median Filtering:
Median Filtering is one of the smoothing techniques, so it
helps to generate a smoothed output image and eliminate
random noise from a grayscale image. The areas and borders
of an image are preserved with a median filter.
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d. Image resizing:
Since this high-resolution original pothole photograph was
taken, additional data was stored [9]. It can take extra
processing time to use the original pothole image. The
image must be scaled down to a lower resolution in order to
facilitate quicker processing and effective segmentation.
e. Canny Edge Detection:
The Canny technique includes filters to find all the
necessary edges in the blurred image. The edges of the
potholes were identified and segmented using the Canny
edge detection approach [10].
Fig 5. Flow of Filling
The detection and filling methods used by our system are
shown in the aforementioned graphic as it operates.
B. Depth of Potholes:
A pothole's range and depth can be determined using an
ultrasonic sensor module. Along with a camera, it will
measure the depth and range [9]. The pothole's size and
depth are determined by connecting an ultrasonic transducer,
and the results are displayed on a mobile device.
Fig 6. Ultrasonic Sensor
For measuring distance, ultrasonic sensors are helpful. It
locates potholes and assesses their size and depth. Based on
their depth, potholes are divided into shallow and deep
potholes characteristics. We can avoid collisions and
mishaps with the aid of the ultrasonic sensor [10]. Sound
waves are used by a device known as an ultrasonic sensor to
 measure an object's distance. It worked by making a sound
wave at a particular frequency and then checking for the
sound wave's reflection again to measure distance.
Fig 7. The Raspberry Pi receives the distance calculated as
Distance = Speed/Time.
C. Filling Pothole in Two Layers:
The presence of moisture, weak underlying support, traffic
loads, and freeze-thaw cycles are some common causes of
potholes. When an agency is deciding whether or not to
patch a pothole, the possible safety and reliability issues that
could occur from an unrepaired pothole should always be
considered [8].
Fig 8. Filling of Pothole
Surface layer:
The various safety and reliability issues that could arise
from an unrepaired pothole should always be taken into
consideration by the agency when considering whether or
not to patch it [3]. The pothole is first cleaned of water and
debris before the sides are leveled to a depth where the
pavement is sound using the semi-permanent method. The
patch is exceptionally long-lasting and tightly compacted
using the semi-permanent repairing technique.
Fig 9. Final Layer
Base layer:
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Studies have shown that the utilization of waste plastics in
bituminous construction has a lot of potential because their
small additions of bitumen 5-10% by weight help to
significantly increase the stability, strength, fatigue life.
Mixing other waste with bitumen leads to improved
durability and performance too [5]. Thus, plastic trash can
be recycled in road construction to fill the potholes and help
to build better roadways.
For preparing bituminous mixtures from waste plastic, there
are two conventional techniques for creating mixtures from
waste plastic, the dry process, and the wet process. The wet
method adds powdered scrap plastic that has been treated
will be heated with hot bitumen, whereas the dry process
adds processed waste plastic to hot aggregates after it has
been shredded [3]. We used the dry processing method since
it is inexpensive, allows for the addition of more plastic,
doesn't require any new equipment, and can readily be
adapted by industry.
Fig 10. Filling Material
As dry process is preferable to use for single works.
This procedure involves heating aggregates to 170 °C,
mixing them, and then adding a modifier to provide a
homogenous coating of modifiers over the aggregates [2].
In order to ensure consistency, the modified BM is
subsequently mixed once more for a period with hot
bitumen (160°C). The mixture is compressed at 120°C.
Limitations:
Our system uses image processing to detect potholes since
it is cost-effective, but live detection requires a higher-
resolution camera and so it is not deployed in our system.
Bitumen and plastic waste were used to fill the base layer
in our system; bitumen is obtained by melting it, which
was challenging because it requires temperature up to
160°C.
V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
As filling is the most important stage to complete, detection
is the first thing that needs to be done. First, a camera is
475
 used to detect the pothole, and a message is delivered and is
forwarded to the Raspberry Pi. After the potholes have been
determined using image processing, an ultrasonic sensor is
used to determine their final depth.
The above figure shows the ultrasonic sensor through which
the depth of the potholes will be detected. It shows Two
components: a transmitter and a receiver [2]. If the
ultrasonic signal is reflected by a message sent by the
transmitter, and it returns message back the pothole is
detected to the receiver.

Fig 11. Pothole Detected (in VNC Viewer)

The above figure shows that the pothole is successfully

detected through a camera.

Fig 14. Proposed Module for Detection

This model will benefit the application for detecting and

reporting potholes and it will further fill the potholes in two
layers. The proposed application could offer value to the
smart cities mobility programme by designing or improving
the city's current infrastructure.

Fig 12. Edges Detected

By converting RGB images to grayscale images, picture

pre-processing is achieved. Then the image segmentation is
carried out using various morphological procedures, such as
blurring and removing noise. With the help of an image
segmentation method like Canny Edge Detection, the above
figure displays all edge features for detection of potholes.

Fig 15. Proposed Module for Filling Process

Fig 13. Measuring Depth

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 This is the Final model of our System. Once the
pothole is detected and its depth is measured, the
filling process will begin. The servo motor sensor in
our system helps in the filling process. Plastic waste
is present in the top layer, followed by concrete and
other road materials. Additionally, it has sensors for
the power battery and Arduino that aid in system
management and control.
GROWTH PLASTIC CONSUMPTION
IN INDIA FROM 2018-2022
Fig 16. Growth of Plastic
The figure above displays the increase in plastic usage in
from 2018 through 2022 in India [3]. As it is observed, that
use of plastic has been growing for a long time.
VI. CONCLUSION
With a pothole detection accuracy of 87.5%, Canny Edge
Detector is thought to be the most effective of the image
processing techniques. Our system would be useful because
it detects potholes, measures their depth, and then fills them
as necessary. Filling the potholes at an early stage will save
many lives. An The ultrasonic sensor is placed at the bottom
surface of the proposed system to find the irregularity in the
road. It helps prevent accidents by identifying potholes on
the roads and storing the count of potholes filled by system
in a database. Through this paper we claim to address three
global concerns by filling potholes with plastic trash. Make
use of the millions of tons of used plastic that are currently
being stored in our landfills. Reduce the millions of dollars
spent on upkeep of new roads and filling potholes. Make our
roadways more durable and robust." The maintenance of
roads with the least amount of money, effort, and corruption
helps our nation become a developed nation globally. For
automatic pothole detection, we have created a novel
assessment and comparison method. Where plastic trash
would be deployed effectively. This work can be expanded
by developing an Android app that detects potholes and
saves the location of using Google Maps, the total number
of potholes found can be recorded in a database to help with
road maintenance.
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