Invisibility cloak upgraded to bend infrared light, not to mention our minds
By Sean Hollister 
posted July 27th 2010 7:50AM
posted July 27th 2010 7:50AM
The fabled cloak of invisibility was once considered impossible for modern science, chilling out with perpetual motion up in the clouds, but these days scientists are tilting at blurry windmills with a modicum of success several times a year. The latest advance in theory comes to us from Michigan Tech, which says it can now cloak objects in the infrared spectrum. Previous attempts using metallic metamaterials could only bend microwave radiation, the study claims, but using tiny resonators made of chalcogenide glass arranged in spokes around the object (see diagram at left) researcher Elena Semouchkina and colleagues successfully hid a simulated metal cylinder from 3.5 terahertz waves. While it's hard to say when we might see similar solutions for visible light, even a practical application of infrared cloaking could put your night vision goggles to shame, or perhaps block covert objects from being detected by those newfangled terahertz x-rays.
First!
@bingster ...to be downranked.
Amirite?
I know how to make bingster invisible
I think the "cloak of invincibility" is still considered impossible....
@Monkeytofu
Well its unfortunate that the USSR has collapsed or else we would've had the iron curtain device. =[
"cloak of invincibility" you say? Hmm, which is better...
@gelatinguy
The cloak of invisibility and invisibility combined...on an Aston Martin...Then you can be James Bond...
@gelatinguy
someone at Engadget has been playing too much D&D.
All of this is still worthless because the object inside the cloak still can't see the outside world because no light reaches their eyes. So yey for being invisible...nay for being blind! What use is it?
@sumx4182
A cloaked missile with a pre-programmed trajectory wouldn't necessarily need to be able to "see". Equally if I was wearing a cloak shielding me from visible light, there's no reason that I couldn't instead view the world in infra-red.
@sumx4182
Solid Snake dont need to see!
I see for him...
@hybridE4t
we already have "stealth" missiles that are invisible to radar and that's good enough since that's a quick hit attack that doesn't necessarily rely on invisibility. Invisibility is more useful for slow moving attack or stationary objects. There may be a point to the "seeing in infrared" but then you do have to worry about the infrared that you emanate being visible to the enemy as well.
@sumx4182 Now this type of article is what I wish I Engadget had more of. Even if this thing might not be a gadget. I do belive theres more to the gadgets then tablets, phones, and apple. ((this is assuming that engadget is mostly just only a gadget site))
@sumx4182
have you ever seen a cloak without eyeholes?
@Slyk
while i know that was a poor attempt at a joke...I'll dignify that with a response anyways...
Obviously, eye holes are a detriment to the light bending they attempt to achieve...
@sumx4182
You assume one would block all available wavelengths. If you selectively allow for a small band of light to filter through, you could effectively see out, even if those wavelengths were IR. All you need are screens/viewing devices that display those wavelengths to you.
@sumx4182
Quick! File a patent for a variable, self-calibrating invisibility cloak and outward visual device, that changes its band of unblocked wavelengths at a predetermined time interval, allowing you to see out, while making it incredibly difficult for people or scanners to see you.
@gerrrg
scanners maybe, people no...I liken it to the invisible enemies in Doom...if you let frequencies through, even for a moment, and even just partially, people will see it. And if you know what you're looking for, a certain glimmer or quick flash, you'll see it and then it won't matter cause you'll be able to kill it. There has to be a better solution than that.
@sumx4182
Obviously so you can touch yourself while in inappropriate places. Sheesh. I thought everyone knew that.
@sumx4182
You're right, this totally freaking useless. What idiot would have any use at all for an invisibility cloak with blindness. I mean, there is absolutely no use in making non-seeing objects invisible. Stupid eggheads are wasting valuable research money.
@sumx4182 Negative. You could hide your porn with this. Wait, people still have non-internet porn?
@tonicboy
too bad I already mentioned in another reply that it was only useful for stationary objects. But since you're obviously not even bright enough to read all the replies before commenting, you're not even really worth the energy to argue with...
@sumx4182
You'd have to be looking at all frequencies all the time, and you'd have to have it readily distinguishable from the background noise of the light that is ubiquitous even at night (IR, XRAY, etc).
My other left?
@Primax
No, not your left, his left.
All they really needed was a "Somebody Else's Problem field"....
Need in case of Predator attack.
@Daverator , Want some candy?
Look like they using CST MWS
the best HF solver in the world IMO
HFSS can be #2 ;)
I want to see it! Oh wait. :(
I DON'T want to see it. ;)
No if we can just perfect this before the Klingons, we'll gain a strategic military advance and dominate the Neutral Zone!
OH GOD I was possessed by Star Trek Fanboys! someone help!
have any videos of this being used in action been released? i'd like to see how far along they really are...
Someone is jumping the gun. Invisibility is cool but Invincibility is badass! =) I would totally rob a bank if I had that one.
Excellent use against those targeted heat ray weapons the military has in testing. I'm sure embedding clothing should help when we have a revolt against the military industrial complex.
You guys missed out on a chance for some harry potter photoshopping. I'm dissapointed.
it can bend infrared light? so adrian brody might ACTUALLY stand a chance against a predator now??
@Sean Hollister
invincibility does not = invisibility
Sssssssssnnnnaaaaakkkkkkkeeeeee!
No?
so know i can safely hide from Predator!!! take that Arnold
excellent ....
now - just to lift the jewel off and replace it with the bag of sand simultaneously !
Brilliant - Turning on the downstairs TV from your upstairs bedroom. Now all we need to do is up the frequency of the wave bending contraption and we will be looking at light bending machines in the not so disatnt future!