LiDAR design for road condition measurement ahead of a moving vehicle

2017 IEEE Sensors In this paper we present the design and the first results of a prototype road condition sensor based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the near infrared using semiconductor lasers. The objective of the sensor is to alert drivers or autonomous driving assistance systems of a road condition, such the presence of water or mud or ice, that will reduce the surface grip a few meters ahead the vehicle. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the RTC-2015-4205-4 “SALICAR” grant.