Winter Road Conditions Are The Next Hurdle For Driverless Cars
All it takes is an incredibly detailed map of every street.
Self-driving cars are great, until the weather kicks up. Robot drivers might be better than humans on a sunny day, but currently, their robotic brains are far behind ours when it comes to precipitation. The problem isn't the slippery surface—long-established traction-control does a decent job of that. The problem is visual. With snow blanketing the road and covering lane markings, or sticking to street signs, the car has trouble orienting itself. Its camera eyes just won't work.