Let’s face it: America’s highway infrastructure is lower than excellent. Potholes, pockmarks, and defects line tons of of 1000’s of miles of pavement throughout this nation. And with so many autos driving alongside these roads every day, deterioration is sort of unimaginable to foretell. Nearly.
Basic Motors lately filed a patent utility for a system geared toward warning drivers of highway deterioration earlier than they even see it. GM Authority uncovered particulars that present GM filed the appliance initially with the US Patent and Trademark Workplace on December fifteenth, 2023, although it wasn’t printed publicly till June nineteenth, 2025. It lives underneath the patent quantity: US 2025/0200526 A1.
GM’s system would use sensors and cameras on autos, accumulating highway information corresponding to suspension displacement, wheel rotation, and vibration as they drive. The corporate would then use these cameras to indicate highway imperfections in actual time—like potholes or pooling water—and beam that info as much as the cloud through particular telematics and GPS.
From there, the system will decide a Highway Upkeep Rating that displays the situation of the highway in query. Poor sufficient rating? GM may—in idea—ship that info to officers for instant consideration.
GM’s system would additionally suggest alternate routes to drivers through the in-car navigation system if it detects damaged pavement alongside their path. Although it wasn’t specified within the patent, we might anticipate a system like this to work in excellent tandem with GM’s Tremendous Cruise, which can quickly have 750,000 miles price of roadways throughout the US and Canada already mapped out.
It is actually an attention-grabbing concept—and one that might theoretically save drivers 1000’s of {dollars} in restore payments, particularly given America’s below-average highway circumstances.
GM Highway Deterioration Patent Submitting
Picture by: US Patent and Trademark Workplace
GM Highway Deterioration Patent Submitting
Picture by: US Patent and Trademark Workplace
Earlier this 12 months, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave America’s infrastructure a “C” grade, as reported by Fortune. The ASCE takes issues like bridges, dams, and, in fact, roads into consideration when scoring, which occurs as soon as each 4 years.
The ASCE’s “C” grade is definitely an enchancment over the earlier score, due largely to former President Biden’s $1-trillion infrastructure deal, which grew to become legislation in 2021.
“We have now seen the investments begin to repay, however we nonetheless have lots of work to do on the market,” famous Darren Olson, chair of the ASCE’s report. “By investing in our infrastructure, we’re making our financial system extra environment friendly, we’re making it stronger (and) we’re making ourselves globally extra aggressive.”
In fact, this highway deterioration patent is not the one factor in GM’s arsenal geared toward serving to drivers.
Final Could, GM filed a patent dubbed the “Car Occupant Psychological Wellbeing Evaluation and Countermeasure Deployment.” Basically, a highway rage deterrent that will use countermeasures to stop an “undesirable state of affairs” whereas on the highway.
A separate GM patent submitting from 2023 geared toward lowering headlight glare from oncoming autos through an augmented-reality, auto-dimming windshield.
It must be famous that GM hasn’t obtained patents for these innovations. However we will hope a few of this know-how makes its solution to the highway—and ultimately improves our lives.
Supply:
US Patent and Trademark Workplace through GM Authority
