Mackay Regional Council is using a GPS-equipped camera to automatically diagnose the type of repairs needed for roads, as well as the associated costs.
The camera cost about $10,000 and works just like a normal camera, in that you simply take a photo of the road that needs repair. Then the camera calculates statistics and a range of co-ordinates needed for the repair, ready to be loaded onto a computer.
“It tells you what to do, say whether it is to do a gravel re-sheet, how wide the road is, the length of it, to the depth of the gravel.” said Mackay Regional Council roads and drainage supervisor Charlie Ward.
“It can also tell you how to remove silt from drains, the construction of the shoulders of the road, and where signposts and guard rails should go.
“A lot of the roads we are in the process of fixing are from March last year from the 2010 flood damage claims, so now we will also have to take photos of the 2011 claims.
“So the work we are doing here is fixing Ului damage up, but then we got damage in January and February this year, so when that money comes through we will fix the road for that damage.”
Mr Ward added that the cameras are accurate and have made the job easier.
