AI Meets Asphalt
Faculty startup helps cities manage roads with speed and precision
A Purdue-connected startup is leveraging AI to help public works departments across multiple Indiana cities automate road condition assessments and maintain local road infrastructure.
Since January 2025, PaveX has surveyed and assessed more than 3,400 miles of Indiana roads. CEO and founder Mohammad Jahanshahi, associate professor in the Lyles School of Civil and Construction Engineering, said the company’s solution builds on more than a decade of research and development, using a data collection system that can be implemented for only a few thousand dollars.
“Our patent-pending platform uses advanced computer vision algorithms to assess pavement conditions quickly and objectively,” he said.
PaveX’s platform improves upon traditional assessment methods in several ways:
- Reduced cost because there is no need for specialized vehicles or expensive sensors
- Improved consistency because artificial intelligence ensures standardized and repeatable assessments
- Increased speed because roads can be assessed in a fraction of the time
“Local governments can implement the PaveX system with minimal training and equipment, which leads to enhanced accessibility,” Jahanshahi said. “They receive actionable insights without the need for in-house data analysis expertise, all while eliminating costly hardware in favor of inexpensive advanced sensors that speed up data collection.”
Jahanshahi developed the AI platform and disclosed it to the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization, which applied for a patent to protect the intellectual property and granted PaveX the exclusive license to commercialize the technology.
Undergraduate researchers Ava Aupperle and Minhea Thomas, both civil engineering majors, joined the team in the fall of 2025 and were tasked with data and image review.
“It’s been an eye-opening experience to see the condition of the roads and how this new technology is able to track it,” Aupperle said. “The work being done here will make a lasting impact for drivers and road agencies.”
Thomas added, “It’s exciting to see what’s being done here and knowing how great of a benefit this could potentially be to municipalities. We all rely on the roads and we need them to be in the best shape possible, and this device will help make sure that happens.”
Jahanshahi and his team have been actively engaged in pavement assessment training initiatives led by the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) and are eager to implement these strategies in practical, real-world settings. Indiana LTAP is optimistic about the potential of emerging technologies, such as PaveX, to enhance transportation asset management. As a member of the national network of technology transfer centers established by the Federal Highway Administration, Indiana LTAP remains committed to advancing the performance, efficiency and innovation of transportation agencies throughout the state.
Jahanshahi said PaveX is expanding to support pilot projects in other states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina and Utah.