Chasing Winter Storms Will Be A Frigid Nightmare For Waymo

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If the hostile public reception hasn’t been enough to halt Waymo’s expansion, maybe the autonomous tech company will face stiffer opposition from ice and lake-effect snow. Waymo announced on Thursday that it will be testing in Truckee, California as well as Michigan and Upstate New York. The company is intentionally seeking out harsh winter conditions for development purposes. A recent study shows that Waymo has a tough challenge ahead.

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Waymo hasn’t specified where it will be testing within the two eastern regions, but both areas are synonymous with lake-effect snow. The weather phenomenon sees winter storm systems intensified by the relatively warm water of the Great Lakes before immediately dumping up over an inch per hour of snow over land in a localized area. Driving into a curtain of snow can be a pretty dangerous affair. The frosty squalls reduce visibility to basically nothing and severely impact traction.

If driving in winter weather is already tricky for humans, an autonomous system has a much higher icy hurdle to clear. An August 2022 University of Minnesota report on the matter reads:

“if the precipitation of snow becomes serious, the laser lens may be blocked by a thick layer of ices and lose 99% of the data due to this blockage effect. This is very crucial as such a huge loss of real-time data can cause tremendous safety issues during a severe snow event.”

In fairness, Waymo’s vehicles use a suite of cameras, radar, and lidar sensors. The study recommended that driverless cars be fitted with heating units to prevent ice build-up on the lenses, and it would be easy to assume that Waymo will make appropriate modifications. However, the company’s vehicles haven’t been foolproof in warm weather conditions.

Waymo attracted federal scrutiny when one of its Jaguars drove in the oncoming lane to avoid a pack of unicyclists on a San Francisco street. Not to mention, the parking lot full of test cars honking at each other. If these robotaxis want to meet a real honking menace, they should try and pick up a Canada goose.