[italophil]

Retroreflective road signs get close to 100% light returned and are a problem for most LIDARs because they blind the sensor. Some companies are working on car paint with higher visibility for LIDAR systems (https://automotive.basf.com/news/read/improve-lidar-detectio...) but that seems the wrong approach to me. The LIDAR needs to work with legacy infrastructure and nature.

[cptskippy]

Exactly. We'll never be entirely "legacy" free and it will take 30 years or more to replace legacy infrastructure and vehicles.

[grogenaut]

I'm currently thinking through and costing out converting a classic pickup to EV / more modern control systems. It may not last 30 years but it's not getting self driving anytime maybe ever... and all the stuff we're making now is legacy.

Just pricing out some 98-'02 hondas and acuras for daily mileage gobblers as well, they're insanely cheap and pretty reliable. This is a 20 year old car that is in high availability very very cheap ($1700 in seattle), and I hvae no complaints about driving.

30 years may be optimistic except that the kids aren't learning to drive as much being the down pressure.

Super cool that this stuff is getting into pricing ranges reachable by mere mortals.