Cityscan Is Changing How Cities Manage Infrastructure
Urban environments are constantly changing. Potholes appear, unauthorized advertising goes up, traffic lights fail, and road markings fade. A new system from 2GIS called "Sitiskan" (Cityscan) is designed to detect those issues automatically, and it has recently received a Russian patent.
This digital city inspector combines computer vision, geoinformatics, and big data to continuously digitize and monitor urban environments in real time.
A City Scanner
The platform analyzes images captured by mobile phones or specialized panoramic cameras mounted on vehicles. Neural networks identify dozens of categories of urban assets and defects, including road signs, traffic lights, lighting poles, barriers, manhole covers, potholes, storefront signs, and accumulated waste.
Perhaps its most significant advantage is geographic accuracy. The system continues to operate even where satellite positioning signals are weak or distorted. The developers have achieved stable georeferencing of detected objects, turning individual photographs into a structured map of urban infrastructure defects. Receiving a patent is also an important milestone for securing large contracts with government agencies and corporate customers required to use Russian software. Earlier this March, the platform was added to Russia's Unified Register of Domestic Software.
Digital Maps That Stay Current
Sitiskan is designed to transform conventional city maps into living digital twins by continuously updating infrastructure data. Instead of static maps, municipal operators gain access to constantly refreshed operational intelligence. A broken streetlight or an open manhole can be added to a maintenance work order almost immediately after a survey vehicle passes through the area.
Sitiskan enters the market as automated road monitoring continues to gain momentum in Russia. In 2023, Moscow began deploying mobile AI systems capable of identifying nine categories of road-related violations with computer vision accuracy exceeding 90%. In 2024, IndorSoft introduced sign-recognition algorithms for road design, and in 2025, NtechLab unveiled a neural network designed to detect asphalt defects.
Unlike narrowly focused platforms, however, Sitiskan goes beyond road markings and traffic signs to monitor a broad range of urban infrastructure assets. That broader scope could make it valuable not only for road authorities but also for property management companies and industrial enterprises.
Artificial Intelligence for Everyday Infrastructure
Russia's computer vision market continues to expand. It reached RUB 22.6 billion (approximately USD 290 million) in 2024 and could approach RUB 50 billion (approximately USD 640 million) by 2030.
According to Russia's Ministry of Construction, digital twins of the country's largest cities are expected to emerge over the next several years. Sitiskan could eventually be integrated with existing Smart City systems and digital platforms that Rosavtodor (Federal Road Agency) and Minstroy (Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities) are deploying nationwide.
The technology also has clear export potential, particularly across CIS countries and Central Asia, where Russian mapping platforms already have an established presence. Expanding internationally will require adapting the system to local traffic regulations and national legal requirements.
Now that the patent has been granted and the legal framework is in place, the next step is pilot deployments. If Sitiskan demonstrates that it can accelerate both the detection and repair of infrastructure defects, Russian cities could gain more than an updated map – they could acquire an effective predictive maintenance platform.
