# Researchers release AI road map covering 9 million kilometers

_Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 3:40 PM EDT · Science, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Researchers release AI road map covering 9 million kilometers — Primary](https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/hires/2026/heidelberg-geoinformat.jpg)

Researchers at Heidelberg University and HeiGIT released an open-access dataset that maps and classifies more than 9 million kilometers of roads worldwide from PlanetScope satellite imagery collected between 2020 and 2024. The dataset identifies about 9.2 million kilometers of major roads by pavedness and width, and tracks condition changes over time. It is available through a platform operated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and is described in Nature Communications.

## Sources

- [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-09-global-road-tracks-years-infrastructure.html)

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