IMPROVE LIDAR PERFORMANCE WITH UV DURABLE HYDROPHOBIC COATINGS

Autonomous driving is emerging as the future of transportation recently. For autonomous driving to be safe and reliable the perception sensors need sufficient vision in sometimes challenging operating conditions including dust, dirt, and moisture or during inclement weather. LiDAR perception sensors used in certain autonomous driving solutions require both a clean and dry sensor screen to effectively operate in a safe manner. In this paper, UV durable Hydrophobic (UVH) coatings were developed to improve LiDAR sensing performance. A lab testbed was successfully constructed to evaluate UVH coatings and uncoated control samples for LiDAR sensor under the simulated weathering conditions, including fog, rain, mud, and bug. In addition, a mobile testbed was developed in partnership with North Dakota State University (NDSU) to evaluate the UVH coatings in an autonomous moving vehicle under different weathering conditions. These UV-durable easy-to-clean coatings with high optical transmission, good wear durability, and excellent UV durability could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the LiDAR sensor, which provides a key improvement in safety for autonomous vehicles.

Citation: Y. Zhao, E. A. Hellerman, S. Lu, M. Selekwa, “Improve LiDAR performance with UV durable hydrophobic coatings,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 16-18, 2022.