The Road to Smarter Infrastructure

Australia and New Zealand boast some of the most expansive and diverse road networks in the world, from dusty outback highways stretching across the red centre, to bustling urban arterials threading through our cities. But with age, weather, and wear taking a toll, the challenge of maintaining these vital arteries is becoming harder - and costlier - by the day.

And yet, many councils are still relying on traditional road inspection methods: slow, manual, expensive, and often reactive. It's a model that simply doesn't scale with the growing demand for safer, more resilient infrastructure.

Enter Kurumie: AI-powered insight on the move

Imagine if every garbage truck, council ute or road patrol vehicle could double as a roaming inspector. That’s exactly what NEC’s Kurumie platform makes possible.

Kurumie harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and vehicle-mounted cameras to automatically detect road defects, potholes, surface cracks, faded line markings, worn signage, and more. The system uploads this data to the cloud, processes it almost instantly, and delivers easy-to-use insights that help crews prioritise and action repairs faster than ever.

No clipboards. No guesswork. No need to send out special survey vehicles. Just a smarter use of the assets already criss-crossing our streets every day.

Why It Matters

Here’s what smarter inspections unlock:

• Safer conditions for inspectors – No more walking into traffic lanes with measuring wheels and cameras.
• Early warning on damage – Spot small defects before they become big, expensive problems.
• Budget efficiency – Make data-driven decisions and stretch maintenance funds further.

Proof in practice: Kurumie in Toyota City, Japan

In Toyota City, home to more than 2,000 km of municipal roads, Kurumie was fitted to existing road patrol vehicles. The results were immediate and measurable.

Urgent potholes, previously missed by manual checks, were swiftly flagged and addressed. The system reduced the mental load on inspectors and helped the city respond faster to citizen reports.

It wasn’t just a tech upgrade, it was a transformation in how road health is monitored and maintained.

A Smarter Future for ANZ Roads

Kurumie has already proven its worth in Japan. Now, the potential for councils and transport agencies across Australia and New Zealand is enormous. With road safety, operational efficiency, and budget pressures only increasing, smarter inspections could be the key to building roads that are safer, stronger, and longer-lasting.

Because better roads don’t start with bigger budgets, they start with better insights.

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