Pothole Detection, Reporting and Management using Internet of Things: Prospects and Challenges
Collinson Colin M. Agbesi1, Ebenezer K. Gavua2, Seth Okyere-Dankwa3, Kwame Anim Appiah4, Kofi Adu-Manu Sarpong5

1Collinson Colin M. Agbesi, Department of Computer Science, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana.
2Ebenezer K. Gavua, Department of Computer Science, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana.
3Seth Okyere-Dankwa, Department of Computer Science, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana.
4Kwame Anim Appiah, Department of Computer Science, Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua, Ghana.
5K
ofi Adu-Manu Sarpong, Department of Computer Science, Valley View University, Oyibi, Ghana.
Manuscript received on November 05, 2017. | Revised Manuscript received on November 17, 2017. | Manuscript published on November 25, 2017. | PP: 1-4 | Volume-5 Issue-1, November 2017. | Retrieval Number: A1208115117
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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Abstract: Road networks are the means of transporting, sharing and movement of goods and services from place to place in society. Road networks are also channels of communication in some parts of the world. Consequently, access to good road networks enhances the quality of life and work of people living in society. But the poor nature of design and development of road networks coupled with natural disasters such as heavy rainfall has brought about many unwanted potholes and scratches on the roads which are very dangerous to commuters and other road users as well as vehicles that utilise the roads. In addition, the lack of a proper road maintenance system has resulted in an ever increasing number of potholes which endanger efficient transportation and road safety. Meanwhile road maintenance works has largely depended on manual detection and reporting. The advent of computers, information technologies, network and communication technologies and sensors have brought about a new phenomenon known as “internet of things” also put “internet of everything” (IoT//IoE). The global network of things is the connection of the physical objects to virtual objects in the world. This enables physical world objects to be assigned unique internet protocol addresses with the purpose of sharing and exchanging data and information. The paper conducts a study into the use of internet of things to detect and report potholes on roads. The paper assembles an open hardware equipment and sensor to experiment the detection and reporting of potholes using IoT/IoE enabled devices. The paper presented the architectural design and system to detect, report and manage potholes and other road obstacles using IoT. The paper also presented some prospects and challenges in the implementation of internet of things (IoT).
Keywords: Pothole Detection, Pothole Reporting, Pothole Management System, Internet of Things/Everything