Testing & Evaluation of Road Bounce PRO-Mobile Phone App Based Technology for Road Measurement

Road roughness plays a crucial role in assessing the overall condition of a road. It impacts various factors such as vehicle operating costs, speed, comfort, safety, fuel efficiency, and wear and tear. Every road user seeks a smooth and pleasant driving experience. The measurement of road roughness is a key task that influences maintenance decisions. According to the Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards, roughness measurements should be conducted every 6 months on highways to determine the necessary functional overlay requirements based on the roughness index. Roughness measurements using profile meters namely Rod & Level, Dipstick, Merlin etc. all are time consuming. The Road Roughness Measurement System (RTRRMS) is a system installed on vehicles to assess how the vehicle reacts to the pavement profile. In India, the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) has developed a 5th Wheel Bump Indicator that is mounted on cars to measure roughness. The RTRRMS 5th Wheel Bump Indicator utilizes binary true/false information and range-based analog data generated by digital accelerometers commonly found in smartphones. This measurement system is facilitated through an application called “ROAD BOUNCE”. This paper aims to showcase the results obtained from the testing and assessment of an App-based roughness measurement technology in terms of its precision and user-friendliness. The evaluation was conducted across various vehicles and mobile phones, considering different factors such as speed, tire pressure, gradients, and more.