#1443: BumpMaps

Today’s invention is a smartphone application which allows realtime measurement of the frequency with which potholes are being driven through in a given region.

Motorists would attach their smartphones firmly to the dashboard. Every time a pothole was driven through, the vertical acceleration would be detected and the location sent to a central database belonging to the roads authority in question.

When displayed on a map, effects such as temporary ramps could be excluded from consideration, allowing holes in the road to be prioritised for repair on the basis of the number of drivers affected and the severity of the bumps.