Melbourne’s Brimbank City Council will attach high-resolution cameras and GPS sensors to its garbage trucks in a trial aimed at improving local roads.
The devices will collect data in real-time and transmit it to a cloud-based system that can create an easy-to-use map of assets that require maintenance, such as damaged roads, traffic signs, or bus shelters.
The asset auditing research project is being conducted in collaboration with the Swinburne University of Technology and is supported by $1.18 million in funding from the Federal Government’s Australian 5G Innovation Initiative.
Optus is also involved in the project to help demonstrate how 5G can reliably support the needs of smart cities around Australia.
Brimbank Mayor Cr Jasmine Nguyen welcomed the partnership, which was announced earlier this month.
“Residents have told us via the Community Survey that improving the appearance of Brimbank’s roads, road signs, bus stop shelters and roadside spaces is a high priority,” Cr Nguyen said.
“This innovative 5G-based project offers us a quicker and more efficient way to identify which assets need maintenance, and to get the information to the work crews.
“Simply put, this project will help Council respond faster to assets that need maintenance.”