Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) sector services

Snow, ice, rain, fog and bright sunlight are weather conditions widely known to affect conventional driving. This also applies to the performance of on-board perception sensors such as Light Detection and Ranging Systems (LiDARs), radars, camera systems and vehicle connectivity. Solar storms disrupt high-frequency radio communication and satellites systems such as GPS.  The weather also strongly influences demand levels on transport networks; Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) infrastructure must adapt to such changes.  

The Met Office has world-class expertise and understanding of how sensors and systems’ performance is affected by the weather. We are also a recognised provider of accreditation for meteorological instruments and systems for use in the aviation sector, for example.

Weather data, consultancy and research are important for ongoing research, development and implementation of future mobility technology, and the ability to embed real-time weather data into both vehicle and infrastructure systems has the potential to further improve overall safety and efficiency. 

The Met Office is working alongside the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and other government and industry partners to help shape the safety parameters that self-driving vehicles operate in. We are contributing to this in several ways including a major ongoing project to develop a Sensor Assurance Framework with National Physical Laboratory (NPL), funded by CCAV.
Met Office and NPL have been undertaking this multi-year project to develop a usable and reliable framework for understanding how well CAV perception sensors (the vehicle’s ‘eyes and ears’) perform in different weather-related conditions. 

Request a copy of our recent reports

Contact us if you would like copies of our recent reports exploring the likely frequency and severity of different weather conditions that affect CAV performance:

• An investigation into short-period, extreme rainfall in the UK in the context of Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) deployment
• An investigation into the occurrence of snow and hail in the context of Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) deployment

Why work with the Met Office?

Accurate weather and climate data, consultancy and research are important for ongoing research, development and implementation of future mobility technology. We have a dedicated team of experienced consultants who can help provide access to:

• World-leading meteorological expertise for the transport sector
• World-class science, research and development
• Industry-specific weather data
• Flexibility to deploy meteorologists
• Bespoke road surface forecasting
• Added value from consultancy