---
title: "Google Patented a Method for Detecting and Avoiding Potholes"
description: "A new Google patent reveals the giant may be looking to add a pothole-avoiding feature to its self-driving cars."
date: "2015-08-31"
modified: "2015-08-31"
authors:
  - name: "Kif Leswing"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kif_leswing"
url: "https://futurism.com/google-patented-a-method-for-detecting-and-avoiding-potholes"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Google"
---

# Google Patented a Method for Detecting and Avoiding Potholes

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/55ddf6bf50000.jpg>)

- The filing was dated January 2012 and doesn't deal with computer vision. If a car hits a pothole, it will note the location using its GPS sensor. Future cars can then avoid the problem spot in the future.
- As more and more self-driving (or normal) cars encounter potholes, Google could come up with extremely detailed maps of the worst roads in your town.
- The trick to the patent is that the quality of the road is judged by the device based on how hard its accelerometer was shaken.