Systems and methods are described herein to automatically detect objects and other debris located in the road. The lateral movement of a vehicle is monitored to detect lane changes. When a lane change is detected, information about the lane change including geographic coordinates of the lane change are collected. The information collected from various vehicles is correlated to identify possible locations of debris and other objects in the road. The identified locations may be provided to other vehicles for use in one or more navigation or collision detection systems or provided to one or more authorities who may use the information to address the identified objects or debris.We have designed an algorithm that detects and accurately positions unwanted objects and unexpected obstructions such as debris on road segments. The algorithm runs at Road Side Units /municipal data centers and utilizes the kinematic information and coordinates of Connected Vehicles, which is readily being transmitted as Basic Safety Messages. The algorithm has the potential of reducing the time and money spent by highway patrols and agencies to identify and remove debris from the road, spot-fix surface problems, as well as the risk of crashes caused by drivers’ swerving behavior to avoid debris on the road. The developed technique is also applicable to foreign object debris detection and removal from airport runways, which is a topic of significant interest in aviation industry.
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