Theoretical Study on Recognition of Icy Road Surface Condition by Low-THz Frequencies

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical model demonstrating that low-terahertz radar frequencies can effectively recognize icy road conditions, aiding winter transportation safety.

Contribution

The study develops a combined theoretical model using IEM, RTE, and Rayleigh scattering to evaluate icy road surfaces with low-terahertz radar frequencies.

Findings

Model shows good agreement with measured data

Carrier frequency and temperature significantly affect recognition efficiency

Impurities and surface conditions influence radar detection performance

Abstract

Recognition of road surface conditions should always be at the forefront of intelligent transportation systems for the enhancement of transportation safety and efficiency. When road surfaces are covered by ice or snow, accident rate would increase due to the reduction of road surface roughness and also friction between tire and road. High-resolution recognition of natural and manmade surfaces has been proved to be achievable by employing radars operating at low-terahertz frequencies. In this work, we present theoretical investigations on surface condition recognition of an icy road by employing low-terahertz frequencies. A theoretical model combining integral equation method (IEM), radiative transfer equation (RTE) and Rayleigh scattering theory is developed. Good agreement between the calculation results and measured data confirms the applicability of low-terahertz frequencies for the evaluation of icy road surface in winter. The influence of carrier frequency, ambient temperature, impurities inside the ice layer and frozen soil surface conditions on the efficiency of this method is presented and discussed.