We invite the public to get involved in the development of IRoM (Intelligent All-Season Road Maintenance), a solution of great importance to society, by sending in photos of various road defects.
Take a photo of a road defect and send it to us—you’ll help train the artificial intelligence that will improve the efficiency of road maintenance in Latvia in the future. Plus, one lucky participant will win a 50-euro gift card for a gas station.
How to enter the contest:
- Take a photo of a road defect: a pothole, crack, wear, or an overgrown road sign.
- Send the photo to the email address: sliktscels@zzdats.lv by August 10, 2025.
The winner will be selected by random draw on August 12, 2025.
The IRoM platform will automatically compile up-to-date data on road conditions in Latvia—covering both roads under municipal jurisdiction and national highways— and responsible specialists will have the opportunity to receive real-time data on existing road defects and make decisions regarding necessary follow-up actions accordingly. Residents are also invited to participate in the development of the digital platform—specifically, in training the artificial intelligence.
“The goal of the project is to create a modern and easily adaptable digital platform that would help road maintenance crews plan and carry out their maintenance work more effectively throughout the year. The platform will use artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to detect and analyze problems in a timely manner—such as potholes, cracks, overgrown or poorly visible road signs—as well as identify other road maintenance needs. The automatically collected information will help make informed and rapid decisions, as well as provide transparent information on resource utilization. “This solution will reduce response times for responsible specialists, ensure safer driving conditions for road users, and enable more efficient use of maintenance resources throughout the year,” says Edžus Žeiris, director of “ZZ Dats.”
We are implementing the second phase of the project to develop the new-generation intelligent information system IRoM in collaboration with RTU researchers. An ecosystem of data-sharing participants will be established, and RTU-developed artificial intelligence models will be used for processing. The project envisages the following distribution channels for the new system: enterprise resource systems, monitoring systems, mobile apps, and messaging. This comprehensive solution uses artificial intelligence to predict necessary road maintenance activities. Additionally, the system allows users to view municipal roads and the system’s recommendations on an interactive map. The project is developing a comprehensive solution that will utilize at least four data sources: meteorological data, static road cameras, the “Waze” app, and the “IRoM” mobile app. As a result, the service will be available across vast regional areas, not just in cities or along highway sections where weather stations are located.
