Artificial intelligence (artificial intelligence) is becoming more and more present in our daily lives, and programmers are constantly finding new applications for this technology. Broadly speaking, artificial intelligence allows computers to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving skills.
In recent years it has often been associated with science fiction movies such as Terminator. But technology has now found its way onto our smartphones with popular apps like ChatGPT, where users can have open protections with a computer.
Another new app with artificial intelligence is called Stan, which allows drivers to document the quality of public roads using their phone cameras. Stan – short for Safer Travel in Neighborhoods – is a free and simple-to-use app launched in January 2024 by British developers.
READ MORE: I visited the ‘ghost bridge’, once named Britain’s busiest, and the ‘forgotten’ M6 services
Get breaking news BirminghamLive WhatsAppclick the link to join
It works by allowing drivers to send photos or record a trip like a dashcam. The photos and videos are then analyzed using artificial intelligence and the data is processed into Stan’s built-in UK map, which uses a colour-coded system to show good and bad quality roads.
BirminghamLive were invited to test the app and see what we got from the findings. All we needed to get started was to download Stan from the Apple store (also available on Android) and get a phone holder for the car windshield.
Stan has two modes: Photo Mode and Driving Mode, and the latter is used to record journeys. Once you click on Driving Mode, simply press the record button; AI technology does the rest and the screen goes dark.
It is worth noting that to get clear results, you need to place your phone in the slot in the middle of the windshield and make sure the camera is in focus. It’s okay to have part of your car’s hood in the frame, but if the phone holder is also in the field of view, the camera may blur and the app won’t detect anything (the first time this happened to me).
Stan rates the trail in 10-foot sections and gives it a score out of five, from low to high: brown, red, orange, yellow and green. Your results will appear as a snake on Stan’s road map, with small circles representing the roads you’ve driven.
To put Stan to the test, I chose to take a variety of roads to see what results he would produce, including A-roads that I thought would be well-maintained and smaller B-roads that might have potholes. Incredibly, the app is programmed to detect 45 types of road conditions and street presence, allowing it to distinguish between different shapes and objects.
My journey started in Penkridge, Staffordshire, where I continued towards Wolverhampton using the A449 Wolverhampton Road, a dual carriageway. The road scored well overall and was green with only a few yellow patches.
Everything got even more interesting when we arrived in Wolverhampton. I turned right on the A449, along Wobaston Road, past Pendeford, across the Staffordshire border and back to Bilbrook.
I was expecting to find potholes here as the roads are quieter, more rural and over two municipal boundaries, and I wasn’t disappointed. The Stan app noted several orange splotches along Wobaston Road in Pendeford due to potholes.
Orange splotches also appeared on Pendeford Avenue and Barnhurst Lane in Pendeford, as well as Lane Green Road in Bilbrook. Interestingly, the second road previously had more potholes but was patched by council officers after it was highlighted by BirminghamLive.
We got back onto the A449 via Wobaston Road and continued south towards Wolverhampton, heading towards the island with KFC at Bushbury. A few orange splotches have been noted along the way on the A449 at Oxley where it crosses Three Tuns Lane and a small area beyond.
Fortunately, overall we did not encounter any red or brown sections of road throughout our journey. When we got home it was time to upload the data and the results we got were incredible.
Our entire route was mapped out on the Stan app with a map of colored circles representing where we were going, and it was truly impressive to see how accurately Stan analyzed the route. As I stared at an orange dot on Wobaston Road, I remembered where I had to turn around the pothole.
Although not available via the app, the Stan team was able to send me screenshots from my recording where different types of pits were collected and analyzed. Such data is also shared with local authorities, including Birmingham, where Stan has begun working with to repair and repair our roads.
The app uses a form of artificial intelligence called SmartVision technology, also known as computer vision, which allows computers to analyze moving images and gather information. Although Stan was only used and released in January, it was clear that this technology had great potential and represented the future.
If there are potholes near where you live and you feel like the council isn’t taking action, I highly recommend downloading Stan because it’s another way to highlight the problem and inform other drivers.