Windsor Winning Praise for Innovation

The City of Windsor’s Operations Department has been awarded a 2023 E.A. Danby Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Municipal Administration!

The award recognizes an innovative project designed to improve Windsor’s road maintenance program.

The “Innovative Asset Management Practices using CityROVER Artificial Intelligence” program utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) software to automatically detect and report potholes and damaged manholes. The City has placed AI detection devices on several municipal vehicles across different departments, including public works and waste management. The devices constantly scan and inspect the City’s road infrastructure and automatically detect, identify and report any deficiencies while the vehicle is on the road.

Prior to the innovation, the City used dedicated employees to identify potholes across 2,450 kilometres of roads and inspect over 18,500 manholes.

The new technology has doubled the effectiveness of the City’s pothole and manhole maintenance programs by automatically pinpointing exact locations for maintenance and repair.

The E.A. Danby Award is presented annually by the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) to one or more municipalities that demonstrate an initiative or a willingness to explore innovative techniques that produce tangible results related to the efficiency and effectiveness of the municipal corporation.