Road surface detection system

A road surface detection system for a vehicle, said road surface detection system comprising:

• an optical emitter disposed at a vehicle and configured to emit a beam of light downward and forward of the vehicle;
• a receiver disposed at the vehicle so as to receive light emitted by said optical emitter that is scattered or reflected from the road surface;
• wherein said receiver comprises a prism and an imager, and wherein said prism refracts the received light so that the imager captures image data representative of received light that is emitted by said optical emitter and scattered or reflected from the road surface and refracted by said prism;
• a control comprising a processor operable to process image data captured by said imager;
• wherein said control, responsive to processing by said processor of image data captured by said imager that is representative of received light that is emitted by said optical emitter and scattered or reflected from the road surface and refracted by said prism, determines a pattern of spectral absorption for materials present at the road surface;
• wherein said control determines the type of material present at the road surface by determining the pattern of spectral absorption;
• and
• wherein said control, responsive to determination of the type of material present at the road surface, communicates a signal indicative of the determined type of material present at the road surface.

A road surface detection system for a vehicle, said road surface detection system comprising:

• an optical emitter disposed at a vehicle and configured to emit a beam of light downward and forward of the vehicle;
• a receiver disposed at the vehicle so as to receive light emitted by said optical emitter that is scattered or reflected from the road surface;
• wherein said receiver comprises a prism and an imager, and wherein said prism refracts the received light so that the imager captures image data representative of received light that is emitted by said optical emitter and scattered or reflected from the road surface and refracted by said prism;
• a control comprising a processor operable to process image data captured by said imager;
• wherein said control, responsive to processing by said processor of image data captured by said imager that is representative of received light that is emitted by said optical emitter and scattered or reflected from the road surface and refracted by said prism, determines a spectral characteristic for materials present at the road surface;
• wherein said control determines the type of material present at the road surface by determining the spectral characteristic;
• wherein determination of the types of materials present at the road surface comprises said control comparing determined patterns of spectral characteristics against predetermined spectral characteristics for water, ice, oil, snow, dirt and sand;
• wherein said control, responsive to determination of the type of material present at the road surface, communicates a signal indicative of the determined type of material present at the road surface;
• and
• wherein said control communicates the signal to one of (i) an autonomous control system that is driving the vehicle and (ii) alert a driver of the vehicle of the determined type of material present at the road surface.