EyeDAR Streetlight Radar Expands Self-Driving Cars' View
Rice University researchers developed EyeDAR, a compact orange radar sensor mounted on streetlights that acts as an external set of eyes for autonomous vehicles, maintaining detection in fog, rain, and low light. Using a 3D-printed Luneburg lens and analog computing, EyeDAR conveys sensing data to vehicles, extending their view while cutting reliance on onboard computing; in tests it resolved target directions 200 times faster than existing digital radar, suggesting potential city-wide deployment across stop signs and traffic signals to improve safety.