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The boys and girls at Berkeley are at it again, but this time they're working on an invisibility cloak, which could turn out to be one of the greatest inventions ever, right up there with X-ray goggles and other nifty gadgets we used to read about in the marketing section of yesteryear's comic books.
For the first time, researchers have demonstrated they were able to cloak 3D objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects. Prior to the demonstrations, cloaking has been limited to thin 2D objects.
The technology works using materials known as metamaterials to deflect radar, light, and other waves around an object. These metamaterials consist of mixtures of metal and circuit board materials (ceramic, Teflon, or fiber composite), and scientists continue to try and find ways of using them to bend light around obstacles.
Uses for cloaking technology include the obvious military applications, and as such, the research was funded in part by the U.S. Army Research Office. But not only do scientists have to fine tune the concept, but manufacturing the required materials on a large scale also poses a problem.
Do you think we'll ever see a full-fledged invisibility cloak in our lifetime?
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Comments are closed on this article
jwalch.hawk
August 11, 2008 at 11:23pm
This is moving much faster than I'd suspected it would. Last year some folks at Duke developed a metamaterial device that did a very similar thing, only it wasn't in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. At the time it was speculated that it would be quite some time (see: a few years at least) before metamaterials could be developed that would function to stealth from visible light. So even though these things are still very young and in the research phase, they are moving along significantly faster than expected and might not be as far off as they appear at first shrug.
Keith E. Whisman
August 11, 2008 at 6:06pm
Just one word Superdooperwonderfulawsomewickedbadassneattowhoopasskickass. I want one do they have mens size XXXlarge Tall?
Keith E. Whisman
August 12, 2008 at 8:11pm
I wonder if you have clothes made from this stuff and you flick a switch if it would appear your naked?
