Unattended roadside vegetation presents a notable hazard to road safety, frequently contributing to traffic accidents by blocking drivers’ sightlines and reducing visibility. This research investi gates current strategies for managing roadside vegetation, evaluates their shortcomings, establishes technology-agnostic information requirements for effective vegetation control, and introduces two solutions based on computer vision enabled Digital Twin technology to fulfil these requirements. The research employs a mixed-method approach, including expert interviews and a literature review, to analyse existing vegetation control processes and their shortcomings. It then defines the information requirements for digital twin implementation and proposes two computer vision-based solutions: a video-based 2D approach and a mobile mapping-based 3D approach. These solutions were tested through real-world case studies to validate their effectiveness in fulfilling the key requirements. The 2D approach, while affordable, provides basic assessments. In contrast, the 3D approach offers comprehensive spatial details and superior data quality for detailed analysis.
Reja et al. (2026) studied this question.