The single-camera, single-laser system means less hardware on the PathRunner and the advancement in camera and laser technology means oh so much more. The new 3D camera and high-performance laser combine for higher quality images with greater resolution, superior data range, finer crack detection, and full-lane rutting measurements without a significant increase in image file size. 3D-PAS is truly the most advanced 3D pavement analysis system available.

Simply stated, there are more Pathway Services’ Legacy 3D Pavement Analysis Systems on the road than any other 3D system in the U.S.A…period. Is it because it’s a single-camera system or because it’s manufactured and supported by us right here in the U.S.A? Maybe. But more likely it’s because the pavement data it captures and surface images it produces are unmatched by other systems. We’ve engineered the best 3D system on the market.

Pathway Services offers an integrated HD LiDAR system truly unique to the industry, providing a 3D rendering of the network and associated roadway assets. A single survey-grade scanner and panoramic camera system maps MILLIONS of data points while traveling at posted speeds for colorization, asset extraction and data analysis directly on the web.

Why “South Dakota-style”? Because of the pioneering work performed the team of engineers at the South Dakota Department of Transportation. The SDDOT staff created an operational profiler in the early 1980’s and that design was adopted by other state DOTs and the industry. The South Dakota-style profiler would eventually become the industry standard and is still in use today.

The provisional AASHTO R56 standard for inertial profiler certification is named "Stop-and-Go Profiling" because of the extreme vehicle dynamics required during certification testing. Pathway Services has named its NEW profiling system the "ALL-SPEED PROFILER" because whether driving at an idling speed, stopping-and-going, or cruising down the interstate at 70 mph, the system provides an accurate IRI statistic exceeding 94% accuracy and 94% repeatability.

Viewing the collected network using the spherical imagery provided by the Ladybug 5+ 360° camera system puts you “in the driver’s seat” of the PathRunner, even if you’ve never left your desk. Used as reference imagery for pavement condition or to view the smallest detail of roadway assets, this subsystem provides unique informational power to the pavement management, maintenance, and safety departments within the agency.

Visual context can be extremely important when evaluating the condition of the infrastructure in your network, and the three forward-facing cameras that create the panoramic-like images provide that and so much more. Precise camera calibration allows for on-screen measurements and asset extraction directly from the “windshield” view.

When it comes to pavement texture, we like a little grit. Macrotexture is characterized by changes in pavement surface height larger than 0.5 mm which allows for proper water drainage to reduce the potential for hydroplaning. The optional macrotexture system data combined with captured roadway geometry from the PathRunner provides the data you need to decide if there’s too much texture, too little or if it’s just right.

Exclusively from Pathway Service, the NEW 3-Zone Texture Signature subsystem is a roadway safety game-changer. Microtexture is characterized by the changes in pavement surface height less than 0.5mm which define the interaction between a vehicle’s tires and the pavement surface, or the resistance to skid. Using comparative texture data from the left and right wheelpaths and the center of the lane, the PathRunner can help determine the condition and performance of the aggregate and binder materials on the network in real-time.

The rear-facing imaging system on-board the PathRunner provides a recorded look in the rear-view mirror while collecting pavement condition data on the network. For single-direction collection common for undivided state highways and local roads, the rear view offers the ability to capture asset inventory items and characteristics in a fiscally optimized manner. Rear-facing and forward-facing views are synchronized to each other and spatially tied to GPS coordinates and state-unique LRS systems.

The road is never a perfectly flat plane. To capture a true road length measurement that considers elevation changes, Pathway Services employs a custom optical wheel encoder that is capable of extreme precision during high-speed data collection and in inclement weather conditions. Non-encoder DMI integration is optional.

We take great pride in our reputation as “The Spatial Company” and at the core of that identity is the ability to spatially tie pavement condition indices, individual pavement distresses, unique infrastructure assets, and other Maintenance and Safety data points to their precise location on the earth. This means our clients can track pavement degradation, the performance of pavement preservation treatments, watch the expansion of a single transverse crack or other collected data year over year by GPS, LRS or other spatial identifiers.

To understand the feel of the road and isolate its pavement data we need to understand the movement of the PathRunner as it navigates the network. Our PathRunners are equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) which isolates roadway geometry from vehicle motion in real-time and, with the integrated GPS system, spatially ties the data to its physical location on the network via GPS coordinates, LRS and other customizable spatial identifiers.

On September 6, 2022, the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final rule to provide standards, guidance, and supporting information related to maintaining minimum levels of retroreflectivity for pavement markings on all public roads with a speed rating of 35 mph or higher. All agencies are required to implement a method for maintaining pavement marking retroreflectivity at or above minimum levels by September 2026 to be in compliance.

Pathway Services offers the RetroTek-D system as a bolt-on hardware solution to provide statewide retroreflectivity data for states, providing both a method for management and and spatially aligned data to ensure compliance.