A cloaking device that makes you appear completely invisible is still trapped in the realm of science fiction. But researchers at Duke University have successfully created a cloaking device that works with sound instead, making an object completely invisible to SONAR and other acoustic imaging techniques.
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Most attempts at cloaking, no matter the slice of spectrum, usually leave clues as to what’s there — even microwave cloaks can spoil the surprise through reflections. At Duke University, researchers have licked some of those past problems with the first instance of a flawless microwave cloaking scheme. By crafting a special diamond-shaped cloak where the light properties stay consistent at the corners, the school’s Nathan Landy and David Smith have successfully shielded a 3-inch wide cylinder from microwave detection without a hint that something was amiss. The gotcha, as hinted by the shape, is a two-dimensional nature that gives away the secret at less than ideal angles. Duke suggests that it still has the groundwork for something that could be vital for communications or radar — we can imagine a stealth aircraft or ship in the far-flung future that could actively mask itself from radar signals. It’s not quite the optical illusion we’re looking for, but a refined version of the Duke project might be enough for a rare practical use of cloaking when fantasies are much more common.
Duke University creates ‘perfect’ one-directional microwave cloak, might lead to stealthier vehicles originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 19:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The last time Keio University was in the news it was for a prototype wearable cloaking device developed by a team of researchers at the school. A decade later you still can’t go out and buy one, but the research has inspired another brilliant use for the technology—invisible car interiors that let you see everything outside when backing up. More »
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