Transportation security

Autonomous Driving Even Under Bad Weather Conditions

Ground-penetrating radar may soon be the sensor that makes cars autonomous in all weather conditions. Developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the technology has proven to be a successful in a military context. MIT’s ultra-wide band radar was first deployed in Afghanistan in 2013. The technology allowed military vehicles to stay on previously-mapped routes by matching radar measurements with maps of subterranean geology. This enabled precise navigation of 9 ton military vehicles, despite unmarked lanes and poor visibility from sand and dust.

Now the MIT Spinoff WaveSense is bringing the radar technology to commercial autonomous vehicles. Adding WaveSense to the existing sensor suite enables autonomous vehicles to see in a whole new dimension and brings a new level of safety to the roads.

How does this dual-use technology work? 

Road subsurface combination of rocks, cavities, culvert pipes, utility infrastructure (cables, conduits, sewer lines), and reinforcing steel bar for concrete (rebar) creates a radar image uniquely different from any other part of the roadway.