Road condition identification from millimeter-wave radar backscatter measurements

Abstract

Radar backscatter measurements under various road conditions are presented in this paper. With the aid of a millimeter-wave automotive radar, backscatter measurements of an asphalt road surface were obtained for a stationary and moving radar platform and under dry, rainy, snowy, and slushy conditions. The effect of the conditions on the radar's backscatter are examined, and the feasibility of a road-condition identification scheme is demonstrated.