Autonomous vehicle lidar cooling system

A method of cooling a vehicle sensor system comprising:

• providing a base attached to a roof of a vehicle;
• a lidar sensor attached to the base;
• a sensor cooling system;
• and a cover attached to the roof of the vehicle such that the cover and the base sandwich the lidar sensor therebetween, where the cover, the base, and the roof together form a cavity, the cavity is situated above the roof such that the roof and the cover sandwich a portion of the cavity;
• the cavity houses the lidar sensor, the cavity, including the portion of the cavity sandwiched by the roof and the cover, houses the sensor cooling system;
• and the sensor cooling system includes an exhaust and a manifold;
• removing hot air from the cavity through the exhaust;
• and
• drawing cool air from an existing vehicle cooling system through the fan to the cavity via the manifold.

A vehicle, comprising:

• an autonomous vehicle sensor mounting system, including:
• one or more sensors;
• and
• a bracket fit to a rooftop of the vehicle, the bracket including (i) a mount for the one or more sensors including at least one of a lidar and a radar, (ii) a sensor cooling system, and (iii) a cover covering the mount and the rooftop, wherein
• the cover, the mount, and the roof together form a cavity,
• the cavity is situated above the roof such that the rooftop and the cover sandwich a portion of the cavity,
• the cavity houses the one or more sensors,
• the cavity, including the portion of the cavity sandwiched by the rooftop and the cover, houses the sensor cooling system,
• the sensor cooling system includes:
• an exhaust to remove hot air from the cavity, and
• a manifold including a fan drawing cool air from an existing vehicle cooling system to the cavity.