Rain, fog, snow, or glaring sunlight can obscure the camera’s view or confuse its algorithms, leading to missed detections or false alarms.For example, heavy rain and dust have been shown to cut AI detection accuracy significantly (one study noted accuracy dropping to about 87% in rainy conditions). Moreover, cameras require a clear, clean lens and line-of-sight visibility. Lens obstructions like mud, frost, or condensation can impair image quality and poorly lit or high-glare environments will further reduce detection reliability. All these factors mean that a forklift’s AI camera may “go blind” just when it’s needed most, during bad weather or in outdoor yards.
Beyond weather, complex outdoor backgrounds and occlusions pose problems. AI vision can struggle to distinguish people from cluttered scenery or when a person is partially hidden(by pallets, vehicles, etc.). A top-tier manufacturer cautions that AI cameras “may not detect pedestrians if they’re carrying objects, standing near walls, ... or in reduced visibility situations such as fog, steam, smoke, [or] rain”. In busy yards, a pedestrian behind a stack of goods or around a blind corner might escape the camera’s view entirely. These limitations result in dangerous blind spots and inconsistent protection outdoors. In contrast, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and LiDAR technologies excel in such challenging environments, ensuring reliable safety coverage where cameras fall short.
UWB and LiDAR: Built for All-Weather, All-Conditions Safety
Unlike optical cameras, UWB radio-based systems are largely immune to weather and lighting conditions. UWB uses ultra-short radio pulses to measure distances between tags with centimeter-level precision, unaffected by darkness, glare, or dust. This means rain or fog does not diminish UWB’s ability to detect a nearby worker or vehicle. Additionally, UWB’s wide-spectrum pulses are robust against industrial interference and can even penetrate certain obstructions.This allows a UWB proximity sensor to detect a pedestrian around a corner or through shelving (within range) without needing direct line of sight.The result is a consistent 360° safety shield around the forklift in virtually any outdoor condition. As one industry source notes, “TAGs work consistently in all conditions and are not affected by line-of-sight or visibility issues. Detection accuracy exceeds 99%.”.Such reliability is critical outdoors, where visibility can change by the minute.
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is another game-changer for outdoor forklift safety. LiDAR units actively scan the environment with laser beams, creating a precise distance map of obstacles. Because LiDAR provides its own illumination (infrared or laser light), it works in darkness or shadow as effectively as in daylight.It’s far less sensitive to sun glare or lighting contrasts than a camera.Modern LiDAR sensors used on forklifts can detect obstacles and people in realtime, even distinguishing them using reflective properties (as done by some systems using reflectors on safety vests).Importantly, LiDAR maintains accuracy in many weather conditions that stymie cameras – a bit of rain or dust may cause some signal noise, but generally LiDAR will still perceive objects where vision algorithms might fail. For instance, one safety provider’s infrared LiDAR system can deliver precise, reliable detection even in challenging environments, without the limitations of passive camera-only systems. In practice, forklift makers have started integrating LiDAR for outdoor use: Crown’s new Proximity Assist uses LiDAR to automatically slow a truck if any object lies in its path, and Hyster’s safety package combines 2D LiDAR for object detection with UWB tagging for full 360° coverage. These examples show how LiDAR’s active sensing capabilities dramatically improve outdoor safety, from detecting low-lying obstacles on rough yard terrain to stopping forklifts before a collision.
By leveraging UWB and LiDAR, Lopos’ technology ensures dependable outdoor protection where traditional AI cameras falter. UWB’s radio-frequency ranging provides all-weather, through-obstacle awareness, while LiDAR offers laser-precise vision that sees in darkness and over distance. Together, they form a resilient safety net: even if rain is pelting down or sun glare washes out a camera feed, the UWB-LiDAR system will still pinpoint a worker’s location and an approaching vehicle’s path. The result is drastically fewer missed detections and false alerts, instilling confidence that the system “just works” regardless of weather. In outdoor environments — be it yard operations under the sun or loading docks in fog and rain — companies can trust that advanced UWB/LiDAR-based collision avoidance will maintain vigilant guard, where AI cameras alone would be blind. This robust performance in all conditions is exactly why next-generation forklift safety relies on UWB and LiDAR to keep people safe inside and outside the warehouse.

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