What if we would like to be in a place, but no one would recognize or see us? Just like using the ‘Snake Stone’ in Jackie Chan Adventures. One could just rush into any place/building oneself want, no matter how tight the security is; Visit girlfriend’s / crush’s home, without even her knowledge. (No, don’t do that). The world might seem as a fantasy & Life would be fun.
Having the ability to conceal yourself at whim is the desire for a lot of people. Being virtually untraceable and hidden in plain sight sounds too good to be true. In today’s world, privacy is everything and anonymity is hard to find, but this particular technology may have a solution, exactly like Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak.
Invisibility Cloak that is Real? What Science says?
Before stepping into the core of the topic, let’s have a quick skim of how science features visibility and its antonym. Though the aspect creates an awe among readers, as if a fantasy world is existing, the science behind it is simple.
Normally, any object which is seeable by you, is because of the light reflection that falls on your eye, after being hit on that object. This makes it visible. But what if, light doesn’t reflect on that object and instead bends on its surface & reflects somewhere. So, as light is being fooled by that object, you can’t see the object. At a final call, this incapability (or advantage) of an object to not reflect light but bends it, renders the concept invisibility. Science is cool nnah?
Henceforth, scientists are on their own shoes to make a ‘material that cannot reflect light, but bends it’. And that’s the seed to elaborate the concept.
Quantum Stealth
Hyperstealth Biotechnologies, a Canadian company specializing in camouflage equipment (a disguising suit/object) has created a thin sheet of material capable of bending light to create the kind of ‘invisibility effect’. Quantum Stealth, by which they call it, bends light coming from front & back towards the viewer to create a blind-spot in the middle.
“You get the background that is to the left of me appearing on the right of the material and the background that’s to the right of me appears on the left of the material. And in that overlap zone in between those two you can actually hide a target in the middle,” says Guy Clark, Hyperstealth’s CEO and Quantum Stealth inventor.
(Confusing? I was too puzzled on reading it first. Take time & read it again.)
Still confused? Read this para. If not, skip. Say, you are right to the invisible stealth, facing the same side as ‘it’. And audiences are to the left & right of you & of-course for it too. Now, stealth’s right is you and its left is audience. Audience, who stand to your right, see you & the other side’s audience, leaving a ‘blind-spot’ in the middle (where stealth sits), because of its bending capability of light. And those who are left, see just ‘you’ (standing to the right of the stealth) & audience on opposite side. – says Guy Clark. (Now read his saying above)
Hope, now you understood well.
The material is so robust that it doesn’t just hide small body, but even tanks, aircrafts and ships! And its ability to conceal bodies against infrared and ultraviolet light, becomes its boon.
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The tech’s development furnished the product to be used for riot shields, parachutes, tents and camouflage nets & Hyperstealth company already established manufacturing military uniforms for countries worldwide. Until now, the stealth is a solid sheet and researchers hope, a fabric-like material would facilitate it soon.
Just as the two sides of the coin, it has some drawbacks too. Objects need to be a certain distance behind it to disappear and can reappear if they move too far to one side.
“Today we could say it’s not simply restricted to science fiction, [It’s] something that makes sense scientifically.”
Only Quantum Stealth?
Excluding this Canadian company, researchers from Rochester University have also dealt with the fantasy and developed ‘metamaterials’. They do exactly as the stealth, but only with a single wavelength of light. This had put metamaterials much behind this stealth.
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Moreover, toy group ‘Wow Stuff’ started selling out a cloak, that makes you invisible in photos and videos, just as the green-mat technology used in cinematography. The cloak uses an app for picturing such horrific photos of an invisible something holding something. It costs $70. For virtual world & potter-heads, it was a visual treat after a twitter user bought the cloak & made a video out of it.
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References:
https://www.cnet.com/news/harry-potter-invisibility-cloak-materializes-for-preorder-july-1/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-invisible-man-real-invisibility-science-180974301/
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/586420/harry-potter-invisibility-cloak-coming-soon
https://scool.buzz/harry-potter-invisibility-cloak-is-real/