Palau Road Surface, Width, and Passability Data (2020-2024)

HeiGIT produced this dataset of AI-derived road surface, width, and passability metrics for Palau's arterial road network using PlanetScope satellite imagery from 2020 and 2024. It maps approximately 100 km of roads, supplementing OpenStreetMap data with deep-learning predictions that achieve 89.2% accuracy.

Use Cases

• Evaluating heavy vehicle accessibility using 'Road Width Class' and 'Humanitarian Passability Index'
• Detecting infrastructure improvements via the 'Road Surface Change' indicator
• Filling missing OSM data using 'DL Surface Prediction 2024' for routing

Strengths

• 89.2% surface model accuracy
• Multi-temporal coverage (2020 and 2024)
• Standardized width classes for logistical planning

Limitations

• Restricted to arterial road classifications
• Small total road length (approx. 100 km)
• AI-derived predictions may contain classification errors

Provenance

Source

HeiGIT (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology)

Collection Method

AI-derived predictions from PlanetScope satellite imagery integrated with OpenStreetMap data.

Time Range

2020-2024

Freshness

Last updated March 2026; contains temporal comparisons between 2020 and 2024.

Geography

Palau