Japan's 'highway doctor' quick fix for ageing roads

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As Japan takes on the mammoth task of upgrading Tokyo’s roads and infrastructure, a local "highway doctor" is betting that its 3D technology can lend a helping hand.

Tokyo's expressways measuring around 320 km (or 200 miles) in length has withered with time. The sprawling roads had been crying for a facelift since 1964 when it hosted Olympic Games.

With Tokyo 2020 Games barely three years away, it’s a race against time to upgrade the aging roads.

Metropolitan Expressway has developed a technology that can identify damaged spots on the road. It dispatches cars equipped with cameras and laser sensors fitted on their roof – similar to Google's Street View service – it takes images of every nook and corner of Tokyo's highways.

The "highway doctor" driving under a section of highway in Tokyo. /AFP Photo

"We can easily detect the spots where there is ongoing damage as well as the places that have been repaired in the past," said Masaaki Sakuma, an official in charge of infrastructure inspection at a Metropolitan Expressway unit.

The collected data are then transmitted back to company headquarters where desk-bound technicians use special software to create 3D images. The images help in accurately identify the troublesome spots. The process ends the time-consuming method of sending out road crews for on-site inspections, developers say.

It also helps to deal with staff crunch, according to experts – a pressing issue in Japan where an aging population of 127 million has shrunk the work force.

The company is also aiming to export the system. A trial of the 3D technology for road repair is already under way in Thailand.

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Source(s): AFP