Smart Pothole Detection and Rapid Emergency Response System for Four-Wheeler Vehicles

Abstract: Potholes are one of the most dangerous road hazards in India, causing tyre bursts, loss of vehicle control, and fatal accidents every monsoon season. Yet no vehicle-mounted system currently warns the driver in real time and automatically notifies family members when a dangerous incident follows. This paper presents a Smart Pothole Detection and Rapid Emergency Response System for four-wheeler vehicles. A YOLOv8n model on a Raspberry Pi 4 detects potholes at 18 FPS from a dashboard camera, immediately alerting the driver via buzzer, LED, and mobile app. An MPU- 6050 inertial sensor then monitors vehicle dynamics for 10 seconds; if acceleration exceeds 4G or yaw rate surpasses 45°/s, a danger event is confirmed. A photo snapshot and live GPS coordinates are dispatched simultaneously via Firebase Cloud Messaging and GSM SMS to family members, whose app opens automatically showing the photo and location. Hardware costs under Rs. 9,000 with no vehicle modification required. Tests across Bengaluru roads confirmed 87.3% mAP detection and sub-5-second family alert delivery.

Keywords: Pothole Detection, YOLOv8, Emergency Response, IoT, Raspberry Pi, GPS Tracking, MPU-6050, Flutter Mobile App, Firebase, Road Safety, Four-wheeler Vehicles, Driver Alert System.