Through Rain or Shine: NuPort Advances Reliability for Autonomous Trucks in Inclement Weather Conditions
Our latest technology is equipped with an all weather proof enclosure to perform in diverse climates
It’s cold in here - collecting all weather data
As NuPort currently operates across Canada and the United States, we have seen a wide variety of different tumultuous weather conditions. Although they are different, there is no question that most, if not all, are subject to their own concerns whether they be wet (rain, droplets) or dry (dust, dirt, bugs) or solid (snow, ice).
Solidifying safe and reliable autonomous driving is NuPort’s most important mission, which comes with the responsibility to focus on addressing challenges due to changing weather conditions. We are extremely grateful for our customer base. Each customer has provided us with an opportunity to expose our technology to various weather conditions, enabling us to refine and perfect them through extensive trial and error. All in an effort to ensure we maintain our top priority and that is safety.
Our trucks have collected a substantial amount of data in multiple weather conditions in different targeted commercial routes for a diverse set of Operational Design Domains (ODDs). NuPort’s technology has already been trialed and deployed in Northern Canadian cities with severe rain, heavy snow and icy conditions.
Figure 1: A NuPort retrofitted truck successfully operating in snowy/icy conditions
As seasons change, inclement weather - such as heavy storms, snow, dirt, dust, and rain - can cause hazardous conditions for autonomous vehicles if not properly managed. Human drivers instinctively adapt to sudden changes in weather conditions through various responses like putting their windshield wipers on, physically cleaning their mirrors, removing leaves/bugs, or altering driving approaches.
While many technologies and tools have been developed to support human drivers, autonomous vehicles lack the same flexibility. Because they rely on sensors to interpret and respond to their surroundings, it is important that complementary tools are created to ensure that these systems are not impacted by variability in the operational environment. NuPort in collaboration with MistyWest and with generous support from Innovate BC through its Integrated Marketplace Initiative Program, developed a solution to make weather-related problems an easy fix for all vehicles using NuPort technology.
To maintain precise clarity on critical truck viewpoints, we have developed an all-weather-proof enclosure to protect and routinely clean our sensors. Our commitment to safety runs deep, and the development of this feature has undergone rigorous testing ensuring NuPort trucks maintain reliability even in harsh weather conditions.
A sensors worst nightmare: obstructed view
A truck's sensors serve as its eyes, enabling the software to contextualize visual data collected by the sensors and maneuver safely. NuPort’s industry-leading software/algorithms empower our trucks to make autonomous decisions that are both accurate and reliable.
Located on top of the truck, all NuPort trucks come equipped with advanced cameras, sensors, and cutting-edge LiDAR technology - a system that measures precise distances by calculating the time it takes for light pulses to return.
Ensuring clarity on all components are necessary to ensure that the technology is navigating accurately. Otherwise, blurred or distorted images can feed unrepresentative data to the software. When autonomous driving companies fail to adequately prepare their sensors with protection, harsh weather conditions can thereby lead to inaccuracy in perception algorithms such as inaccurate object detection, error in depth estimation, localization and possible occlusion of critical regions of the image.
Obstructions can vary between rain, water, snow, dust and dirt, bugs and debris.
Figure 2: A table illustrating the potential impact of various weather conditions on camera visibility and overall system performance
Figures 3-7: Before the integration of the all-weather-proof enclosure, these images highlight visibility challenges caused by obstructions such as rain, fog, water, dirt, and debris. Each image demonstrates how these conditions reduce clarity, potentially impacting the system’s performance
Our transformative design
Given the challenges that weather can have on the performance of the sensors, our team quickly got to work on designing an all-weather-proof enclosure using an iterative design approach to protect critical sensors in harsh weather environments. The enclosure is designed with a multi-layered structure, strategically segmented to address various aspects and ensure a well-prepared final product.
the enclosure is designed with a multi-layered structure, strategically segmented to address various aspects and ensure a well-prepared final product.
Enclosure - The enclosure first acts as an exterior outer shell by shielding the lens inside. The enclosure provides structural protection by keeping the camera upright, and reinforcing the mounting to withstand even the roughest terrains. This durability opens doors for autonomous vehicles to maintain optimal camera performance in short and long distances.
Self-cleaning - Each sensor has a self-cleaning lens mechanism to prevent moisture and remove snow, water, dirt, and bugs from obstructing the view. More specifically, our design has both a passive and active method that seamlessly integrates together.
Active Integration - The design incorporates an active electromechanical cleaning system, using mechanisms like brushes or wipers to periodically remove debris or contaminants from the lenses. The incorporation of a routine cleaning system guarantees a clear lens in all instances leading to safer operations.
Figure 8: A trial of our all-weather-proof mechanism effectively removing sticky strawberry jam
By developing these design solutions, we have provided a resource to enhance efficiency and accuracy in trucking operations across industries. It helps eliminate the need for delays due to certain weather conditions. With NuPort, business can run as usual, anywhere in the world.
Safety is the number one priority for NuPort, and we will continue to test and deploy our technology to the harshest conditions to ensure that it will maintain durability against the toughest times. An extensive amount of research has gone into the development of NuPort’s proprietary all-weather proof enclosure, and after months of preparation, we are deploying for our customers.
Figure 9: These images demonstrate the effectiveness of NuPort’s cleaning mechanism in eliminating rain droplet obstructions on the camera. The first image appears blurry, while the second image is clear and fully restored
Computers like it too - machine learning & AI
Beyond innovatively protecting the lens itself, this enclosure enables seamless integration between NuPort’s autonomous technology in a wide range of operational environments, making daily performance efficient and reliable. This compatibility will streamline processes, reduce downtime, and enhance overall performance in diverse conditions.
The team at NuPort is looking forward to deploying this enclosure with their customers, and opening the door for safe and accessible autonomous technology. We may not be able to control the weather, but we certainly can control how NuPort’s retrofitted trucks behave in critical environments. Building trust in autonomous vehicles requires demonstrating their ability to handle complex, even human-challenging, scenarios efficiently. This all-weather proof enclosure not only reinforces the safety and reliability of NuPort’s technology but also instills confidence in our customers by showcasing its resilience and dependability in the toughest weather conditions.
We are grateful to both MistyWest and Innovate BC in recognizing the significance of an autonomous future, and working with us to solve such a critical mission. NuPort’s promise is to keep growing and innovating, so that you can trust our technology like all of us at NuPort do.
From your dedicated experts at NuPort
