Scientists have developed a practical way to make ultra-black coatings to meet demand for trendy, luxury vehicles in China. The coating, described in a paper published in Matter & Light, is made up of a composite of carbon black pigment and carbon nanotubes. The resulting color is a deep jet black that also meets automotive standards, opening the door for car manufacturers to develop distinguished, high-end models in darker-than-ever hues.
Researchers have developed a new kind of lidar system that simultaneously measures the location, speed and material properties of objects in a scene. This type of information could be useful for applications such as robotics, autonomous driving and remote sensing.