Scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have patented a container with a radio tag that is embedded in asphalt and serves as a landmark for unmanned vehicles. The tag works in fog, snowfall, and during communication interruptions, the university's press service reported.
The container is made of heat-resistant PEEK polymer, which withstands wheel pressure, vibration, and temperature changes. Its height of 40–60 mm is chosen to match the top layer of asphalt concrete, and the conical bottom simplifies installation. Inside, an RFID tag (radio frequency identification – reading data via radio signal without direct line of sight) is attached, connected to a lithium battery: it holds a charge for 5 to 12 years and is not afraid of frost. The reading range is over 300 meters, and the memory is protected by a password and code that prevents cloning. A threaded lid allows for component replacement.
Foreign counterparts use passive beacons without power – they only activate within the reader's field, have a short range, and their sealed casing cannot be serviced. Capsules from the mining industry are read at three meters and cannot withstand road loads. The difference in the SPbPU development is its own battery, durable casing, and collapsible design.
Unmanned trucks have been transporting goods along the M-11 "Neva" highway since 2023, and later the experiment was expanded to the Central Ring Road: by spring 2026, the vehicles had covered about six million kilometers without accidents, and the legal regime was extended until 2028. The developers plan to bring it to prototype stage and test it directly in the road surface.
Earlier, "Perviy Tekhnicheskiy" wrote about a 4D radar system for drones, which allows vehicles to "see" in fog and snow.