tk102 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061019/ap_on_sc/cloak_of_invisibility Worth a read... WASHINGTON - Scientists are boldly going where only fiction has gone before — to develop a Cloak of Invisibility. It isn't quite ready to hide a Romulan space ship from Capt. James T. Kirk or to disguise Harry Potter, but it is a significant start and could show the way to more sophisticated designs. In this first successful experiment, researchers from the United States and England were able to cloak a copper cylinder. It's like a mirage, where heat causes the bending of light rays and cloaks the road ahead behind an image of the sky. "We have built an artificial mirage that can hide something from would-be observers in any direction," said cloak designer David Schurig, a research associate in Duke University's electrical and computer engineering department. For their first attempt, the researchers designed a cloak that prevents microwaves from detecting objects. Like light and radar waves, microwaves usually bounce off objects, making them visible to instruments and creating a shadow that can be detected. Cloaking used special materials to deflect radar or light or other waves around an object, like water flowing around a smooth rock in a stream. It differs from stealth technology, which does not make an aircraft invisible but reduces the cross-section available to radar, making it hard to track. The new work points the way for an improved version that could hide people and objects from visible light. Conceptually, the chance of adapting the concept to visible light is good, Schurig said in a telephone interview. But, he added, "From an engineering point of view it is very challenging." The cloaking of a cylinder from microwaves comes just five months after Schurig and colleagues published their theory that it should be possible. Their work is reported in a paper in Friday's issue of the journal Science. "We did this work very quickly ... and that led to a cloak that is not optimal," said co-author David R. Smith, also of Duke. "We know how to make a much better one." The first working cloak was in only two dimensions and did cast a small shadow, Smith said. The next step is to go for three dimensions and to eliminate any shadow. Viewers can see things because objects scatter the light that strikes them, reflecting some of it back to the eye. "The cloak reduces both an object's reflection and its shadow, either of which would enable its detection," Smith said. The cloak is made of metamaterials, which are mixtures of metal and circuit board materials such as ceramic, Teflon or fiber composite. In an ideal situation, the cloak and the item it is hiding would be invisible. An observer would see whatever is beyond them, with no evidence the cloaked item exists. "Since we do not have a perfect cloak at this point, there is some reflection and some shadow, meaning that the background would still be visible just darkened somewhat. ... We now just need to improve the performance of cloaking structures." In a very speculative application, he added, "one could imagine 'cloaking' acoustic waves, so as to shield a region from vibration or seismic activity." Natalia M. Litchinitser, a researcher at the University of Michigan department of electrical engineering and computer science who was not part of the research team, said the ideas raised by the work "represent a first step toward the development of functional materials for a wide spectrum of civil and military applications." Joining Schurig and Smith in the project were researchers at Imperial College in London and SensorMetrix, a materials and technology company in San Diego. The research was supported by the Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program and the United Kingdom Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Edit: I hope they start working on transporters next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jae Onasi Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061019/ap_on_sc/cloak_of_invisibility Worth a read... I'd hate to be in the same room with all those microwaves. Visible light's going to be tougher because how the eye sees is very complex--it's not going to be just a matter of bending the light around, it's also going to be a matter of preventing any shadows or false edges that the eye will catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Devon Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Interesting. It'll be even moreso to see how this develops. So many possibilities... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHawke Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 [b5 Version] Cloaking Devices before they have Jump Drives, Particle Beams, and Pulse Cannon, what are they thinking? [Trek Version] Cloaking Devices before they have Warp Drives, Phasers, and Photon Torpedos, what are they thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Devon Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Cloaking Devices before they have Warp Drives, what are they thinking? You silly, that they'd need starships before Warp Drives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHawke Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 You silly, that they'd need starships before Warp Drives? Not according to the Trek universe. The Pheonix was a converted ICBM remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Devon Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 The Pheonix was a converted ICBM remember. I've not watched a lot of Star Trek. My ears aren't pointy, so I wouldn't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Lion54 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Hey RedHawke, you forgot the SW version! Cloaking Devices before they have Hyperdrives, Blasters, and Turbo Cannons, whay are they thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 I imagine it would look like the ones they have in Metal Gear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-1162 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 cool! i'll get one of those if i can i don't understand how a shodow can still be formed though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igyman Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 I find it frightening that this thing's being developed by the Americans. They'll turn it into a weapon accessory before you can say *oh crap*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSR Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Can't wait untill its publically on sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbieZ Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Not according to the Trek universe. The Pheonix was a converted ICBM remember. You know on google earth, you can see a Titan 2 rocket lancher with one of it's half doors open. I always think, wow thats where Zeframs gonna launch from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-1162 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 @ iggy: you'll find this thing on the F-22 in no time, i agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negative Sun Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Don't think so, the F-22 relies more on stealth from a radar, not visual recognition, by the time the enemy sees it their base is probably already up in flames... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC-1162 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 you know these americans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 LOL, maybe the cloaking device cloaks itself and then you'll never find it and that will be a waste of perfectly good money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mace MacLeod Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Wow. Funky. And F-22s are more into destroying targets from far outside visual range than needing to be invisible. The US Air Force proudly claims that nothing else on the earth is remotely in the same league as the F-22 Raptor, but personally I'd like to see how it came out against an expertly-flown Su-37 or 47... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHawke Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Hey RedHawke, you forgot the SW version! Cloaking Devices before they have Hyperdrives, Blasters, and Turbo Cannons, whay are they thinking? It's a Star Wars forum, I figured someone else would do it... you proved me right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabretooth Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 And F-22s are more into destroying targets from far outside visual range than needing to be invisible. The US Air Force proudly claims that nothing else on the earth is remotely in the same league as the F-22 Raptor, but personally I'd like to see how it came out against an expertly-flown Su-37 or 47... Where do you think American's got there idea for F-22 anyways? The Russians. In fact, if it weren't for the fall of Communism, Russia would have had some of the most powerful flying jets ever made on Earth. The Americans are just boasting. The Russian planes are easily way more powerful... Just look at the MiG-21, or the Su-37/47. They're all planes of excellence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 [b5 Version] Cloaking Devices before they have Jump Drives, Particle Beams, and Pulse Cannon, what are they thinking? [Trek Version] Cloaking Devices before they have Warp Drives, Phasers, and Photon Torpedos, what are they thinking? Geek Mode way, way on: Don't forget the Romulans' quantum singularity (miniature artificial black hole) drive. Since they're credited with the invention of the cloaking device in ST, it's only fair that you mention them. As far as the US's stealth technology is concerned, it's, uh, well, overrated. I'm sure Igy knows that his countrymen managed to shoot down an F-117 with a 30+ year old Soviet missle system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus Q'ol Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 you know these americans Well, what else would you use it for? On a similar note: On one of the science /discovery/military channels (can't remember which), I've seen the military testing a stealth suit for light infantry or more likely some type of special forces unit. It involved some sort of suit covered with what looked like sequins, but were actually tiny sensorlike mirror thingys that projected the images that were in front of a soldier to his back (and vice versa) causing a person looking at him to see what was beyond him. It was very primitive and bulky and it only worked when he was still and half camoflaged anyway. But this was a couple of years ago. Wonder what happened to that. ...maybe he's standing right next to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ztalker Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 ...maybe he's standing right next to me. Creeps me out...if they could develop this, you could be followed 24/7 with no possibility of ever finding out. Not to mention the criminal purposes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus Q'ol Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Creeps me out...if they could develop this, you could be followed 24/7 with no possibility of ever finding out. Not to mention the criminal purposes If someone followed me 24/7 they'd be extremely bored. ...staring at the back of his head for hours as he sits in in front of his TV. The only sound heard is the thumbing of his controller and an occasional profane statement. "Raven to leader" ...hsss "He's on the move, will track his location." "Leader to Raven" ...hsss "What's his position? Over" ...hsss "Uh, he's heading for the toilet sir. over" hsss "Copy that Raven, Leader out" hsss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Merlow Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 It would probably make the big brother world that we already live in even worse. You won't know who,when, where or how someone's watching you. But it still sounds pretty cool though even if i didn't understand in the slightist the science behind it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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