Automatic detection of potholes using VGG-16 pre-trained network and Convolutional Neural Network

Abstract

A self-driving car is necessary to implement traffic intelligence because it can vastly enhance both the safety of driving and the comfort of the driver by adjusting to the circumstances of the road ahead. Road hazards such as potholes can be a big challenge for autonomous vehicles, increasing the risk of crashes and vehicle damage. Real-time identification of road potholes is required to solve this issue. To this end, various approaches have been tried, including notifying the appropriate authorities, utilizing vibration-based sensors, and engaging in three-dimensional laser imaging. Unfortunately, these approaches have several drawbacks, such as large initial expenditures and the possibility of being discovered. Transfer learning is considered a potential answer to the pressing necessity of automating the process of pothole identification. A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is constructed to categorize potholes effectively using the VGG-16 pre-trained model as a transfer learning model throughout the training process. A Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Network (SRGAN) is suggested to enhance the image's overall quality. Experiments conducted with the suggested approach of classifying road potholes revealed a high accuracy rate of 97.3%, and its effectiveness was tested using various criteria. The developed transfer learning technique obtained the best accuracy rate compared to many other deep learning algorithms.