I'm not an expert on applications of black stuff, but having ultra black coatings can help get away with complex optical designs where you would have flares or loose resolution to scattered light inside your tube assembly. Also an optical design that's difficult to pull off mechanically may be easier to manufacture if you just use this coatings inside the tube and on the baffling.

Oh god. We developed the blackest tshirt in the world. So I know much more about this subject than what is possibly good for my mental health lol

I made a comparison video about the ultra blacks that are freely available https://youtu.be/ElVzQ2M6vh0

Regarding VB and the MIT stuff, they are hi-tech and useful for optical applications like space telescopes.

Interestingly, the creator of Vantablack told me that there are also some export restrictions due to it's possible usefulness in stealth technology where you want to get rid of stray light.

Let me know if you have additional questions

How quickly does it wash out?

I'm wondering if one use could be solar ovens.

Search for MIT's solar sponge.

While it may or may not be the primary motivation for research, I'd speculate that it's great for making stealth satellites.

Painting your car in it to avoid lidar

Because you want to make it easier for people and autonomous vehicles to crash into you?

Haha would this even be legal?

Nevermind - it’s not even feasible

https://www.quora.com/Lets-say-Im-a-rich-racer-who-wants-to-...

It can be done and it is legal. In fact, it has been done...

https://www.bmw.com/en/design/the-bmw-X6-vantablack-car.html

With all that flashing and shaking I cannot perceive anything with or without VB. Ads guys today lost their roof completely.

https://www.google.ru/search?q=bmw+vantablack&tbm=isch

It can be done for limited production, but it doesn't fully hide from LIDAR

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/bmw-x6-vantablack-paint-c...

From the CNET article:

>> Typically, the lidar unit can spot things from more than 328 feet away.

>> In this case, the company said the darkest of dark BMWs would need to be about 72 feet away before the lasers and ambient light register the moving black hole.

LIDAR is most effective at a distance from the license plate, headlight, and chrome reflective parts of a car. There is a laser absorbing product called VEIL made specifically for reducing these reflections.

https://www.stealthveil.com/faq/

because that ultra-black looks blue? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tVaJVtxMYE&t=0m11s

I can't imagine the temperature of that car after sitting in the sun for an hour.

Basically the same as a 99% absorbent black.

It radiates more too. The steady state temperature of the steel plates will be the same as white paint, right?

I assume the AC has to work a little bit more during driving though.

vr headsets could benefit: less glare

It's cool.

black is the new black