RMIT and the RACV have partnered to trial an innovative technology that could transform how roads are monitored for potholes and other infrastructure damage.
The road defect detection technology was placed on one of RACV’s Mornington-based roadside vans and, in two months, recorded over 300 defects on 1000km of road.
The trial is underway until January, but data collected between 21 August and 21 October found one distinct defect site for every 3.7km driven.
Mornington-based RACV Emergency Roadside Assistance patrol driver Mark Orlando operates the trial vehicle, manually flagging road defects to help validate the technology’s detections.
“As someone who spends every day on Victorian roads, you can often see sections of road deteriorating long before they’re repaired,” Orlando said.
“Some defects can be difficult for motorists to spot, especially during wet weather, at night or on unfamiliar roads. Anything that helps identify hazardous road conditions sooner can improve safety and reduce vehicle damage.”
The technology was created as part of RMIT’s ‘Pothole Patrol’ pilot project.
The Emergency Roadside Assistance patrol van was equipped with a ‘RoughSense’, a sensor system capable of identifying potholes and early signs of road deterioration.
RMIT engineer and project lead Dr Amirali Khodadadian Gostar said the ‘RoughSense’ system combines sensors, satellite tracking, manual driver validation and AI to process data in real time.
“The RACV van was a critical mechanism to test the effectiveness of our defect-detecting device,” said Gostar.
Defects were most commonly recorded along Frankston-Flinders Road through Tyabb, Hastings, Bittern and Balnarring.
Twenty-four sites were classified as ‘critical’, recording an impact of 2g or more, and 18 of the 24 critical sites were on Frankston-Flinders Rd.
RMIT co-investigator on the project, Associate Professor Hormoz Marzbani, said the technology can pre-empt problems by identifying subtle changes in road surfaces before serious defects develop.
“Repeat passes over the same stretch of road identified worsening potholes, demonstrating the value of continuous monitoring,” said Marzbani.
He said the idea is to build a crowdsourcing platform around the technology, with outcomes that can be shown in real time on a publicly available map.
“We are hoping that would increase accountability of local governments when it comes to the safety of road users,” said Marzbani.
RACV Head of Public Policy James Williams said the trial demonstrated how innovation could help tackle issues consistently raised through RACV’s 2026 My Country Road survey.
“Through RACV’s My Country Road survey, we’ve heard from thousands of Victorians who are concerned about potholes, deteriorating road surfaces and the condition of the roads they rely on every day,” said Williams.
“This trial demonstrates how technology can provide valuable insights into road conditions, helping support more targeted maintenance planning and investment decisions.
“As governments continue looking for ways to improve road maintenance outcomes, solutions like this deserve serious consideration.”
The trial will continue until January 2027, with researchers using the findings to further improve the technology’s accuracy, reliability and ability to monitor changes in road conditions over time.
First published in the Mornington News – 3 November 2026
