iWatchRoadv2: Pothole Detection, Geospatial Mapping, and Intelligent Road Governance

Abstract: Road potholes pose significant safety hazards and maintenance challenges, particularly on India's diverse and under-maintained road networks. This paper presents iWatchRoadv2, a fully automated end-to-end platform for real-time pothole detection, GPS-based geotagging, and dynamic road health visualization using OpenStreetMap (OSM). We curated a self-annotated dataset of over 7,000 dashcam frames capturing diverse Indian road conditions, weather patterns, and lighting scenarios, which we used to fine-tune the Ultralytics YOLO model for accurate pothole detection. The system synchronizes OCR-extracted video timestamps with external GPS logs to precisely geolocate each detected pothole, enriching detections with comprehensive metadata, including road segment attribution and contractor information managed through an optimized backend database. iWatchRoadv2 introduces intelligent governance features that enable authorities to link road segments with contract metadata through a secure login interface. The system automatically sends alerts to contractors and officials when road health deteriorates, supporting automated accountability and warranty enforcement. The intuitive web interface delivers actionable analytics to stakeholders and the public, facilitating evidence-driven repair planning, budget allocation, and quality assessment. Our cost-effective and scalable solution streamlines frame processing and storage while supporting seamless public engagement for urban and rural deployments. By automating the complete pothole monitoring lifecycle, from detection to repair verification, iWatchRoadv2 enables data-driven smart city management, transparent governance, and sustainable improvements in road infrastructure maintenance. The platform and live demonstration are accessible at https://smlab.niser.ac.in/project/iwatchroad.