Long Range Localization with Surfel Maps

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for using a surfel map to generate long range localization. One of the methods includes obtaining, for a particular location of a vehicle having a camera and a detection sensor, surfel data including a plurality of surfels. Each surfel in the surfel data has a respective location and corresponds to a different respective detected surface in an environment. Image data captured by the camera is obtained. It is determined that a region of interest for detecting objects for a vehicle planning process is outside a detectable region for the detection sensor. In response, it is determined that the image data for the region of interest matches surfel color data for the surfels corresponding to the region of interest. In response, the vehicle planning process is performed with the region of interest designated as having no unexpected objects.