Waymo is coming to Minneapolis. But can the self-driving taxi navigate winter weather?

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle ride-sharing service, is currently on the streets of Minneapolis beginning testing. For now, there is a driver behind the wheel. But eventually Waymo wants you to take a ride with no driver.

Minneapolis would be one of Waymo’s first winter-weather markets and the company says it has been testing in winter conditions including the Sierra Nevada and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell spoke to Raj Rajamani, an autonomous vehicle expert at the University of Minnesota and Frank Douma, who researches autonomous vehicle policy at the University of Minnesota.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

What happens when snow is covering the lane markers?

Many modern cars, including Waymo, have lane-keeping systems which use cameras to measure the lateral position of the car with respect to the lane boundary markers. But when the snow is covering those markers, Waymo cars also have what are called lidar sensors. The technology uses light sensors and a digital map to recognize the car’s surroundings and find its location with respect to lane boundaries and other road features.

“With the lidar sensors, they can map their location even with snow covering the lanes,” explained Rajamani.

How about when it’s actively snowing?

If it's actively snowing or raining, the lidar sensors don't work as well and the car may not be able to perform. Rajamani suspects that there will be a threshold when Waymo won’t be in service due to weather conditions.

Additionally, regulations from the state may decide when Waymo can and cannot operate. Douma said it’s similar to a ground stop issued for planes during bad weather.

“We're moving to a product liability world where there will be a lot more attention to making sure that the vehicles are only deployed when they're safe.”

Can Waymo cars handle ice?

If the roads are slippery, Rajamani said it's possible that the cars will operate at low speeds and be more careful about their maneuvers.

Most modern cars have something called electronic stability control, which prevents cars from skating and helps cars straighten out. The technology is mandated by the U.S. Department of Transportation on all new cars.

“I would imagine that the Waymo cars would have something similar to that,” said Rajamani.

Are autonomous vehicles even legal in Minnesota?

The Minnesota Legislature does not have specific legislation related to vehicles like Waymo operating in the state. Douma said existing law can be interpreted that allows Waymo to be on the streets, though it hasn’t been tested in court.

Gov. Tim Walz has an autonomous vehicle advisory council that has been discussing what regulations could look like, but Douma said our winter weather could make the law restrictive enough that there isn’t an attractive market for autonomous vehicles.

“An overly restrictive law would just become one more reason to be left behind,” said Douma.

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