Enhancing LiDAR Reliability Through Utilization of Premium Road Marking Materials

Reliable traffic lane recognition (TLR) plays a crucial role in automated vehicles (AVs), permitting precise positioning, which is critical for appropriate trajectory planning. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR), because of its proficient depth-estimation capabilities and independence from external lighting, serves as a common tool in TLR. However, the efficacy of LiDAR-based lane detection is notably affected by both road marking’s conditions and varying meteorological conditions. A definitive guideline for improving LiDAR reliability in adverse environmental conditions remains to be established. Within the scope of this study, the feasibility of using structured road markings (RM) reflectorized with glass beads (GB) characterized by refractive index (RI) increased from the typical 1.5 to 1.65 to promote LiDAR reliability was investigated. Visibility of two dissimilar types of RM was assessed across five distinct weather conditions (dry, wet roadway surface, and rainfall intensities of 6, 25, and 100 mm/h) using two LiDARs (128-layer and 16-layer). LiDAR intensity and the number of reflected points were used as indirect indicators for assessing the equipments’ reliability. The findings revealed that the use of structured RM resulted in enhanced LiDAR intensity and reduced intensity attenuation over distance under dry conditions. Comparison of the two LiDARs showed some advantages of using 128-layer sensor, even though principal results remained comparable. This outcome shed light on the possibility of improving LiDAR reliability from the perspective of upgrading road infrastructure.