Detecting ice and snow with algorithms is a challenging task for artificial intelligence due to the complex physics of light interactions with these materials.
Snow is made up of intricate ice crystal structures that exhibit a phenomenon called multiple scattering, which further complicates detection.
Ice, on the other hand, reflects light in a focused manner, acting more like a mirror, which can confuse algorithms expecting a uniform appearance.
To overcome these challenges, researchers are exploring multiple sensors and context-aware algorithms to improve the identification of hazardous winter conditions.