Has your car been acting up because of frozen sensors? Maybe not if you’re in Las Vegas. But for at least 60% of the US population – and nearly all of Canada – winter is a reality. From the snowy Midwest to the icy Northeast, harsh winters can put ADAS and autonomous systems out of commission if they’re not built to handle the elements. And it’s not just northern latitudes, Atlanta sees snow on occasion too.
With ADAS features now commonplace, drivers rely on tools like adaptive cruise control, proximity sensors, lane departure warnings, 360-degree cameras, and forward collision alerts. When these systems fail, or work inconsistently, they’re not just inconvenient; they’re potentially dangerous.
Winter makes driving challenges even tougher when computers take the wheel. Blocked sensors, slippery road conditions, and heavy snow demand much more R&D for autonomous vehicles to perform properly. It’s far easier to design a vehicle that works in ideal conditions, which is why testing often starts in places like California, Arizona, and Texas where bad winters are rare. Winter-savvy drivers won’t trust those vehicles until they’ve seen many miles of deep snow and slippery black ice.
In Ottawa, there’s currently a blanket of snow covering a layer of crunchy ice. While it’s not ideal for getting around town, it’s perfect for testing. The 1800+ acre facility at Area X.O offers full testing labs, a centralized control centre, an advanced communication and networking infrastructure, and a wide variety of winter conditions each year. These factors make it the premier North American site for conducting winter testing of advanced mobility technology.
This is why top regional and international companies work with Area X.O to harness winter by bringing their products to the Area X.O smart mobility facility for testing under extreme winter conditions.
Sonya Shorey, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa and Area X.O, highlights how clients can benefit from the world-class and unique infrastructure at Area X.O: “Our unique infrastructure is a key differentiator that helps innovators translate ideas into export-ready solutions. Connected and autonomous driving, connectivity, electrification, and shared mobility technologies create immense opportunity for our economy and society. Innovators require access to leading-edge communications capabilities, expertise and a four-season test environment to develop future-ready technologies for different global markets. These elements are essential to create, validate and export smart mobility V2X technologies that perform in any climate safely and securely.”
Key factors that make winter testing a necessity
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- Sensor impacts: ADAS and autonomous systems rely on cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic sensors, all of which can be impaired by winter conditions. Snow, ice, and slush easily obstruct sensors, causing issues like false proximity warnings from blocked ultrasonic sensors. Cameras face reduced visibility from falling precipitation and increased glare from snow-covered fields. Radar and lidar signals are affected differently by winter conditions, but common challenges include beam scattering, reflectivity changes, and signal interference.
- Driving conditions: Snow, ice, and sleet reduce tire traction and affect the accuracy of features like adaptive cruise control, traction control, and automatic emergency braking. Anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control features are triggered more frequently, confusing less advanced ADAS systems about vehicle stability.
- Snow piles: Snow-covered lanes obscure lane markings, while ridges left by snow plows can alter the perceived width of roads, leading to errors in systems that rely on lane geometry. Snowbanks at intersections obstruct visibility and confuse object detection algorithms.
Winter safety: Bright snow combined with low light from overcast skies and shorter days make it challenging for sensors to distinguish pedestrians or objects from the background. That’s especially true when it’s actively snowing and pedestrians are covered in snow, or when icy conditions cause pedestrians to move suddenly or unpredictably.- Additional obstacles: Winter introduces unique hazards like moving snowplows, blowing snow drifts, and frozen debris flying off other vehicles. These obstacles require systems to differentiate between critical and non-critical hazards in real time.
- Poor visibility: Winter driving often results in slush, dirt, and salt continually splattering windshields and sensors. While wiper blades can be a solution, they’re prone to icing up, and frequent use depletes fluid reservoirs.
- Battery performance: EVs and hybrids suffer reduced battery performance in cold weather, which of course impacts range, but also reduces power availability for sensors and heating systems.
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Winter testing beyond vehicles
Winter isn’t just tough on cars. It poses unique challenges for ground-based robots and drones too. To operate in winter, these systems need to navigate icy terrain, freezing temperatures, and unpredictable weather conditions that can wreak havoc on sensors and operations.
This is why Area X.O’s DARTT Zone is a game changer. Specifically designed for testing drone and robot capabilities, it provides a controlled environment with diverse terrain and arial conditions – even in the depths of winter.
Adding to this advanced testing ecosystem is the Killaloe Testing Site, a major expansion of Area X.O’s capabilities. Located in a rural area near Ottawa, this site offers a class G airspace, fully functional runway, and mobile command centre for testing larger drones and autonomous aircraft. Having served the Government of Canada for drones and flight operations testing since 2016, the Killaloe site is now open to Area X.O clients as well.
These are just a few reasons why robust winter testing is critical for advanced mobility technologies. Heading to CES? Be sure to visit us at the COVESA event! Stop by to learn more about how we can help your innovations thrive in the Great White North.
Visit the Area X.O winter testing page to learn more and to reach out to our team to meet your needs.