Hawaii residents and businesses are participating in the Eyes on the Road project, a partnership among the Hawaii Department of Transportation, Bentley Systems and the University of Hawaii.
The initiative is distributing roughly 1,000 NextBase dashcams to motorists who will spend the next year capturing imagery data as they drive state roads, identifying cracking pavement, potholes, debris, active work zones and more. The data is analyzed by machine learning and AI technology created by Blyncsy, a subsidiary of Bentley Systems, which turns it into actionable information used by the transportation officials.
“The aim of the project is to improve the efficiency of our asset management processes so we aren’t dependent on public complaints or availability of inspectors to address issues that occur outside of the regular maintenance schedules,” Shelly Kunishige, communications manager for the Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT), said in an email.
Hawaii DOT began its relationship with Blyncsy in 2022 using cameras primarily installed on DOT fleet vehicles. Eyes on the Road, involving the participation of privately owned vehicles, launched earlier this month.
“Eyes on the Road will expand the image collection capabilities and will help us leverage the machine learning,” Kunishige said.
Dashcams are currently being distributed to participating motorists, Kunishige said. Data collected through Eyes on the Road is anonymized; and, she said, in aggregate, will provide real-time situational awareness on road conditions and the health of safety assets like guardrails. The University of Hawaii at Mānoa College of Engineering is handling signup, distribution, and support services for the cameras.
“Identifying what needs to be repaired tells you that there might be an area in disrepair,” Mark Pittman, Bentley Systems senior director of transportation AI and Blyncsy founder, said. “Is there someone hitting that guardrail over and over again? Is there something from an engineering perspective that you need to do to fix that?”
Pittman characterized the crowdsourced nature of the project as a way to allow drivers to play a part in the maintenance of their roadways.
“That wear and tear that’s happening to your vehicle is something you can now do something about,” Pittman said, describing the relationship between the state DOT and drivers as “symbiotic.”
Blyncsy has also partnered with state transportation departments in Utah and New Mexico, work which centers on the collection of visual data and use of machine learning to analyze it for safety and maintenance concerns.
“So we analyze those images with AI. And we extrapolate certain insights,” Pittman told Government Technology in November 2024, describing the imagery intelligence as the “secret sauce” and the source of these insights.
