# An Overview of Autonomous Vehicles Sensors and Their Vulnerability to Weather Conditions
## 3 Weather Effects
### Lightning  
It is important for the AVs to operate with electromagnetic stability on its own in ideal conditions, since it will be making use of technology that requires electricity and electromagnetism [40]. Other unpredictable conditions outside of electrical interference need to be considered; one of the biggest concerns of this type is lightning.  
Lightning is the weather phenomenon where large electrical discharge occurs and balances itself again by producing a momentary flash of up to 30,000 K in under 10 microseconds [42]. Since clouds are not specifically monitored to observe when lightning might occur and where it may travel, all AV sensors are in danger, especially if located on the exterior of the vehicle. Depending on the car material and structural composition, the surface of the car will hold the electrical charge upon strike. Contrary to popular belief, the passengers may still be negatively affected if in contact with any of the vehicle's shell as well as components connected to the shell such as the steering wheel, gear shift, doors, or windows; passengers might even be affected by interacting with technology that has electrical capability. Table 3 compares the AV equipment under lightning influence.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Extinction Coefficients (904 nm 1550 nm)**} \\ \hline
**Percentage (\%)** & **1 km Visibility** & **5 km Visibility** & **10 km Visibility** \\ \hline
50 & 2.333 \(|\) 1.146 & 0.463 \(|\) 0.227 & 0.229 \(|\) 0.112 \\
70 & 2.327 \(|\) 1.137 & 0.462 \(|\) 0.225 & 0.228 \(|\) 0.111 \\
100 & 2.615 \(|\) 1.363 & 0.519 \(|\) 0.270 & 0.256 \(|\) 0.133 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: A list of extinction coefficients for 905 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths subjected to varying levels of humidity.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline
**AV Sensor** & **Role(s)** & \
\begin{tabular}{c} **Direct Lightning** \\ **Effect Levels** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Indirect** \\ **Lightning Effect** \\ **Levels** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline RADAR & Electromagnetic & High & Medium \\ LiDAR & Electrical & High & High \\ Ultrasonic Sensors & Electromagnetic & High & Medium \\ GNSS & Electrical, electromagnetic & High & Medium \\ Camera & Electrical & High & High \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 3: Effects of direct and indirect lightning on AV sensors.  
AV sensors can be affected by lightning even when not directly struck; this includes the technologies of the car, since the sensors are usually mounted to the vehicle. The electromagnetic stability can be affected by the new electromagnetic field created by the electrical discharge from the clouds. An example of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) produces a charged field in Figure 13; the strength of it over distance is in demonstrated in Figure 14, which decreases as distance increases [43]. Figures 15 and 16 show electromagnetic disturbances in the UAV [43]. This permits us to observe how radio disturbances appear to be prevalent. Among the AV sensors, the camera is also affected visually by highly unpredictable lighting changes. The bright light can affect perception in cameras.  
was that the effects of the noise immunity on radio waves are very probable, while the effects of electronic equipment are not as significant [40]. This topic could have more material available in the field or is a great place to begin simulations per device (RADAR, LiDAR, etc.).