Research to improve detection of snowy and icy roadways will improve safety


FEBRUARY 2025

Researchers at the University of Utah have developed technology that can potentially conduct multi-lane roadway ice/snow coverage estimation, which is superior to the state-of-the-art single-spot measurements. The technology, which combines non-contact dual-spectrum cameras, computer vision, and machine learning algorithms, promises to improve road safety and transportation in adverse weather conditions by improving snow and ice detection so that road agencies can respond more rapidly and effectively to deteriorating road conditions. There is potential for these systems to be integrated into existing intelligent transportation systems, thereby augmenting winter roadway safety.


Lead investigators:

Xuan Zhu, Ph.D.

University of Utah

New Publication


Winter Safety Improvement with Computer Vision and Transfer Learning

MPC 24-572

Download a two-page project brief
Download the full report
The Mountain-Plains Consortium is a University Transportation Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation serving the Mountain-Plains Region. Consortium members: Colorado State University, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, University of Colorado Denver, University of Denver, University of Utah, University of Wyoming, and Utah State University.
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