W.D.M. Limited and SmartVision: Revolutionising Road Condition Monitoring with AI

Apr 21
4 min read

Updated: May 21

A New Era in Highway Surveying

W.D.M. Limited (WDM), a global leader in highway surveying and asset management solutions, has announced an exciting collaboration with SmartVision, an innovative AI insight technology developed by Metricell. This partnership merges strategic highway surveying expertise with a proprietary neural network that operates on real-time data. Together, we aim to support local authorities with PAS 2161 compliant road condition monitoring reporting.

By combining WDM’s long-established leadership in highway surveying and asset management solutions with the pioneering SmartVision AI platform, we will deliver innovative and scalable surveying services. This collaborative solution meets the requirements of the new PAS 2161 road condition monitoring standard. It helps highway authorities transition confidently to the new national approach while retaining the granular objective data collected by WDM’s Road Assessment Vehicles (RAV), which operate to the SCANNER specification.

Understanding PAS 2161

The introduction of PAS 2161 marks a significant shift in how road condition data is collected and reported across English local authorities. Through this collaboration, WDM and SmartVision provide customers with a comprehensive solution that combines engineering expertise with cutting-edge technology. We merge detailed survey expertise with AI innovation, ensuring that our clients receive the best possible service.

WDM has decades of experience in highway surveying and strategic road management planning. Our modular software platform, the Highways Infrastructure Asset Management System, has long supported highway authorities with data-driven insights. These insights inform maintenance prioritisation, resource allocation, and safety improvements across road networks.

The Power of SmartVision

SmartVision’s advanced artificial intelligence capabilities use computer vision models to analyse road surface conditions and infrastructure assets from captured imagery. The analysed data is delivered through the SmartVision platform. The system can automatically detect and classify defects and features across the highway network, providing scalable and efficient inspection capabilities.

By combining these complementary strengths, our collaboration enables an effective approach to PAS 2161 data collection. This method pairs engineering principles and survey strategy with automated analytics and digital inspection tools. As local authorities adapt to the new national standard, reliable and consistent road condition data will be essential. This data supports decision-making and reporting requirements while targeting the most essential works and justifying costs.

Ensuring Accurate Assessments

The WDM and SmartVision collaboration supports local authorities through the transition to PAS 2161. We enable access to PAS 2161 compliant survey data, supported by both specialist highway engineering knowledge and advanced AI analysis. This approach helps ensure that condition assessments remain accurate, repeatable, and scalable across networks. It also maintains confidence in the results used to inform national statistics and maintenance planning.

Beyond compliance, our partnership reflects a wider focus. We ensure that road condition data delivers genuine value for asset management programmes. This enables highway authorities to access a wide range of additional RCM data from a single survey.

The Value of High-Quality Survey Data

High-quality survey data provides far more than a snapshot of road condition. When collected and interpreted correctly, it becomes a foundation for wider infrastructure insight. This supports the monitoring of additional highway assets, improves maintenance planning, and enables authorities to move towards more proactive and predictive network management.

By combining WDM’s survey expertise with SmartVision’s AI-powered analytics, we aim to provide local authorities with detailed, actionable datasets. Ultimately, it is the quality and integrity of this data that enables highway authorities to plan effective maintenance strategies, optimise budgets, and deliver safer, more resilient road networks to benefit the communities we serve.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Highway Management

As we move forward, the integration of AI technology in highway surveying will continue to evolve. The collaboration between WDM and SmartVision sets a new standard for road condition monitoring. We are committed to helping highway authorities modernise their road inspections and asset management processes.

With our combined expertise, we are paving the way for a safer and more efficient future in road management. The benefits of this partnership extend beyond compliance; they enhance the overall quality of road networks. Together, we will ensure that our roads are not only compliant but also safe and well-maintained.

About W.D.M. Limited

WDM is a global leader in data-driven road management and maintenance solutions. For over 50 years, we have delivered innovative surveying technology, highways asset management, data insights, and engineering solutions. Our goal is to make road networks safer, more efficient, and more sustainable. From local highways to national transport strategies, our expertise supports government authorities, engineers, and infrastructure leaders worldwide.

About SmartVision

SmartVision is an AI-powered highway defect detection solution by Metricell, a global technology partner. Developed in the UK, SmartVision’s advanced AI model has been trained on over 11 million images to accurately identify more than 120 road condition criteria. Combined with a powerful data platform, the solution enables local councils, highway authorities, and insurance providers to take a proactive, data-driven approach to maintaining a resilient transport network and improving road safety.