A spinout of the School of Computer Science's Robotics Institute specializing in road infrastructure image analysis has been acquired by Michelin.

RoadBotics, founded in 2016, uses smartphone and artificial intelligence technology to monitor the condition of concrete and asphalt surfaces. The company was founded in 2016 by Christoph Mertz, also a principal project scientist in RI; Benjamin Schmidt; Courtney Ehrlichman; and Mark DeSantis.

"After much hard work and perseverance, RoadBotics is thrilled to announce its acquisition by Michelin group," the company wrote on its website.

RoadBotics will foster the development of services and solutions already offered by Michelin DDi (Driving Data to Intelligence), which specializes in analyzing driving behavior to make roads safer. RoadBotics' expertise in computer vision will help Michelin understand near-misses based on driving behavior.

"This new acquisition is in line with Michelin's growth strategy around tires. With the acquisition of RoadBotics, Michelin strengthens its expertise in artificial intelligence supporting a smarter and safer mobility," said Lorraine Frega, an executive vice president at Michelin.      

Services developed by RoadBotics include RoadWay, which assesses the condition of roads, and AgileMapper, which can display those assessments on an interactive map. More than 250 communities around the world use these services.