Conceptualization of a Digital Twin Framework Integrating Autonomous Vehicle Data for Proactive Road Infrastructure Management

The rapid development of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies is expected to transform vehicle operation, road design principles, and the overall interaction between vehicles and road infrastructure. Recent studies have highlighted the need to reconsider conventional road design and management approaches in the context of automated mobility, as infrastructure characteristics may directly influence the performance, safety, and reliability of autonomous systems. In this changing environment, enhanced knowledge of road conditions and operational characteristics becomes increasingly important for both safety assessment and infrastructure management.

This preliminary study investigates the potential integration of AV-based information within a Digital Twin (DT) framework for proactive road infrastructure management. The proposed concept considers AVs as potential complementary sources of infrastructure-related data, capable of supporting more targeted monitoring of road characteristics with specialized systems. In other words, this information, when integrated with conventionally collected data including road geometry features, pavement condition, environmental parameters, and safety records, could contribute to a continuous update of the digital representation of the road environment. Potential additional applications include the identification of vulnerable road locations, prioritization of maintenance interventions, and rapid post-event assessment of road infrastructure following extreme weather or other disruptive events.

The proposed framework establishes a conceptual data-flow architecture connecting vehicle-based observations with infrastructure condition assessment and proactive maintenance decision-making. Rather than introducing a fully operational system, this study focuses on exploring the conceptual framework linking autonomous mobility, digital infrastructure modelling, and proactive maintenance strategies. Integrating AV-derived remarks into a DT environment may provide alternative ways for identifying vulnerable locations when assessing road surface performance and overall road structural health status.