TUM researchers test cyberattacks on autonomous vehicle sensors
Researchers at the Technical University of Munich led by Sebastian Steinhorst and Mohammad Hamad have demonstrated that a polycarbonate film with microscopically small prism structures placed on camera or LiDAR sensors can deflect light by 20 degrees, causing vehicles to misperceive object and lane positions by up to one meter and potentially drive into oncoming traffic. The team is analyzing vulnerabilities in vehicle cameras, LiDAR sensors, and their data processing systems to develop detection and mitigation methods. The researchers test attacks using digital twins before evaluating them on TUM's EDGAR research vehicle, and aim to enable vehicles to independently detect sensor manipulation and respond safely, such as by pulling over and signaling sensor malfunction.
