Fixing Potholes with a Flick of a Joystick

A newly-designed truck known as the "Pothole Killer" can fix a pothole with the flick of a wrist (VIDEO).

1 minute read

May 21, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"Now things have changed. There is a futuristic new machine called the pothole killer that allows one person–who never has to get out of the truck cab–to 'hot patch' 100 potholes in a day. (Watch the video for details.) In other words, the machine makes human labor nearly 100 times more efficient in repairing damaged roads. Fixing a pothole the old way: $70; Fixing a pothole the new way: $3. Technology at work, children.

The company that makes the device, Patch Management, also claims that repairs made by the Pothole Killer last four times longer than those done by old-fashioned "throw and go" technique (i.e. what road crews generally do)."

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 in The Infrastructurist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

A line of white wind turbines surrounded by wheat and soybean fields with a cloudy blue sky in the background.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal

The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

1 hour ago - Fast Company

Red and white Caltrain train.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

2 hours ago - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

View up at brick Catholic church towers and modern high-rise buildings.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation

Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.

3 hours ago - NBC Dallas