Self-driving car design: Less Frankenstein, more iPhone

It's easy to spot an autonomous test vehicle in your neighborhood: it looks a bit like Frankenstein, with sensors bolted to the sides and roof. But as self-driving technology matures, sensor design is streamlining, too, bringing AVs closer to market acceptance.

Why it matters: The AV industry is waiting for "its iPhone moment — where everything comes together, and it’s clear, and nobody goes back again," says technology designer Gadi Amit.

AV tech is becoming less conspicuous, though. Luminar, a leading provider, is this week showcasing its new Iris lidar system, which is so small it can be fully integrated into the car's roofline, just above the windshield.

• It'll appear in late 2022 on new Volvo Cars' models with hands-free highway driving, followed by SAIC, Daimler Trucks North America and Pony.ai.
• The sleek design is a long way from what AV pioneer Chris Urmson, now CEO of Aurora, once described as the "spinning Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket" on the roof of early AVs.

What's next: Luminar collaborated with Amit to take the integration a step further with Blade, which it described as "a blueprint" for the design of future robotaxis and autonomous trucks.

• It would incorporate cameras, lidar and radar into a "golden halo" around the top of the vehicle.
• "It's no longer a sensor, but it becomes the thinking head of the car," Amit said.
• Luminar CEO Austin Russell says the company is working with auto industry partners to incorporate its technology into their future vehicles.