For humans, the weather on the road can often present a great challenge. Reliable perception of the road situation at all times is just as critical for highly automated vehicles, too. In the European project RobustSENSE, researchers from Fraunhofer FOKUS along with 14 partners from industry and science have developed a software platform that can be used by vehicles to generate a reliable view of the road situation in all weathers.

In order to build up a picture of the situation, the vehicle accesses highly accurate HD maps, combined data from the vehicle’s own sensors such as cameras, lasers, or radar and further information like weather data. That is why RobustSENSE includes a software platform that combines and analyzes data from various sources. The platform can recognize obstacles on the road even if visibility is impaired by strong sunlight or heavy precipitation. 

The vehicle’s evasive maneuvers are then adapted individually to the weather and road conditions.

The system has already proved itself in the virtual simulation environment VSimRTI from Fraunhofer FOKUS. Practical tests in cities and on the freeway have been ongoing since fall.