Waymo patents using lidar to detect wet roads and weather
This patent describes a method for self-driving cars to use lidar sensors to detect weather conditions. The system compares the brightness of laser reflections from the road surface to expected values to identify issues like wet pavement, then adjusts the vehicle's driving behavior accordingly.
In the filing’s own words
Example methods and systems for detecting weather conditions using vehicle onboard sensors are provided. An example method includes receiving laser data collected for an environment of a vehicle, and the laser data includes a plurality of laser data points. The method also includes associating, by a computing device, laser data points of the plurality of laser data points with one or more objects in the environment, and determining given laser data points of the plurality of laser data points that are unassociated with the one or more objects in the environment as being representative of an untracked object. The method also includes based on one or more untracked objects being determined, identifying by the computing device an indication of a weather condition of the environment.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: receiving, at a computing device coupled to a vehicle, laser data collected by a lidar coupled to the vehicle corresponding to an environment of the vehicle, wherein the laser data includes a plurality of laser data points having associated intensity values; determining, by the computing device, intensity values for laser data points of the plurality of laser data points corresponding to a surface on which the vehicle travels; comparing, by the computing device, the determined intensity values to expected intensity values for the surface; based on the comparison, identifying a weather-related condition of the surface based on a difference between the determined intensity values and the expected intensity values; and controlling the vehicle based on the identified weather-related condition.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- Methods and Systems for Detecting Weather Conditions using Vehicle Onboard Sensors
- Publication number
- US20260259347A1
- Application number
- 19659767
- Filed
- Apr 27, 2026
- Published
- Sep 3, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G01W 1/00 Physics & computingB60W 60/0053 Operations & transportB60W 60/0059 Operations & transportG01N 21/4738 Physics & computingG01S 17/86 Physics & computingG01S 17/87 Physics & computingMore from Google in Cars & transport
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.