Validation of a Low-Cost Multisensor Ultrasonic Road Roughness Measurement System for International Roughness Index Assessment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59261/jequi.v8i5.477Keywords:
International Roughness Index, Ultrasonic Sensor, Pavement Roughness, Inertial Measurement, Method-Comparison ValidationAbstract
Background: Pavement roughness assessed through the International Roughness Index (IRI) is a key functional indicator for road maintenance prioritization, yet certified inertial profilers remain financially inaccessible for many road authorities, particularly in developing countries.
Objective: This study evaluates the measurement agreement of a low-cost vehicle-mounted Ultrasonic Surface Roughmeter (USR) that integrates ultrasonic distance sensing, an accelerometer, and GPS, against certified reference IRI measurements.
Methods: System-level agreement was assessed using 15 paired 100-m observations drawn from five 300-m road sections, benchmarked against a Gap Man Working Profilometer and a Vehicle Mounted IRI Measurement System, and analyzed using Pearson correlation, linear regression, absolute and squared error metrics, and Bland-Altman limits of agreement.
Results: USR IRI ranged from 2.79 to 7.54 m/km against a reference range of 2.88-7.50 m/km. The analysis produced Pearson r = 0.9973, R² = 0.9946, MAE = 0.112 m/km, RMSE = 0.133 m/km, MAPE = 2.45%, and a mean bias of +0.043 m/km, with a regression of USR IRI = 1.017(reference IRI) - 0.038 and Bland-Altman limits of agreement of -0.212 to +0.298 m/km.
Conclusion: The USR shows strong agreement with certified reference measurements within the tested range, supporting its use as a low-cost pavement-roughness screening technology, although the limited number of road sections means that full interchangeability with certified profilers cannot yet be claimed; broader multi-speed, multi-road, and repeated-run validation is recommended before operational deployment. The evidence is limited to the five tested road sections and does not establish full interchangeability with certified profilers.
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