How paint jobs can make sensors and autonomous cars safer

Reflecting on times past CUSTOMERS could, Henry Ford once quipped, have a car in any colour they wanted so long as it was black. In the end consumer choice got the better of him; cars now come in all manner of complexions. Black, nevertheless, remains popular. Some 17% of new cars sold around the world are black, second only to white, at 37%. White is favoured in hot countries because, along with silver, it is good at reflecting light--including the infra-red wavelengths that carry most of the s...