Tokyo professor working on Invisibility Technology

Yahoo! News ^

[spetznaz]

NEW YORK - A University of Tokyo professor claims he and his research team have developed a system that can make you 'invisible.'

Engineering Professor Susumu Tachi is in the early stages of technology that he says will eventually enable camouflaged objects to be virtually transparent by wearing an optical device.

Professor Tachi demonstrated the technology on Wednesday. In a photo of graduate student Kazutoshi Obana, it appears as if three men walking in the background can be seen 'through' Obana's green overcoat.

The retroreflective material of the coat acts as a screen and gives a transparent - or invisible - effect.

For the best effect - one that keeps the correct depth of focus - the observer needs to look through a pinhole.

Tachi's second example shows the image of the skeleton being projected onto a sheet of the retroreflective material, giving the impression the body has become transparent.

The technology could be useful in medicine, where surgeons might use it during operations to avoid having their fingers or surgical tools block their view.

In aviation, cockpit floors could become 'invisible' to assist pilots in landing.

Professor Tachi hopes to have a commercially viable system within a few years.

Is he 'The Invisible Man' by H.G. Wells? It looks like as if three men walking behind are seen through the body of graduate student Kazutoshi Obana during a demonstration of optical camouflage technology at the Tokyo University in Tokyo Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2003. The demonstration conducted by Faculty of Engineering Prof. Susumu Tachi is an early stage of his research that will eventually enable camouflaged objects virtually transparent by wearing an optical device. This photo was taken through a viewfinder that provides with a combined image of moving images taken behind Obana and him wearing a luminous jacket that makes a transparent effect. The technology can be useful for various professions such as surgeons who wish their own fingers and surgical tools won't block the view of affected parts and pilots who wish cockpit floors were transparent for landings

[spetznaz]

Interesting!

I wonder how long it will take before this technology is applied to the military. Actually come think of it i saw this article that was showing how military aircraft can be made 'invisible' to the human eye through the use of photochromatic tech (something similar to the Auston Martin Vanquish car in the latest James Bond flick).

[spetznaz]

Ping!

[Poohbah]

Hey, I've got one already.

I just can't seem to find it right at the moment :o)

[lepton]

So it appears invisible, because it is a screen, upon which a display of the background from another vantage point is projected.

[rwfromkansas]

Hardly true invisibility.

It will be interesting to see if this technology....if it is even real...can be expanded further.

[NP-INCOMPLETE]

I don't think its actually a screen. "retro-reflective" means the backward manipulation of the path of light. The suit could be somekind of fiberoptic material that bends light around the contours of the person wearing it.

[Paul Atreides]

I must be wearing one every time I need help from a salesclerk.

[Poohbah]

I must be wearing one every time I need help from a salesclerk.

Dontcha just HATE that?

[lepton]

The suit could be somekind of fiberoptic material that bends light around the contours of the person wearing it.

The description sounds more like a material that reflects the light from the back surface of fibers, rather than the front surfaces.

Tachi's second example shows the image of the skeleton being projected onto a sheet of the retroreflective material, giving the impression the body has become transparent.

This seems fairly clear it is a technology as I described. What you describe would likely have to be a near-solid mass, and inflexible (else it would conduct to the wrong place and angle).

[TRY ONE]

Why can't McDonald's offer the technology as a
compromise to the fat a$$es who sue 'em?

[canuck_conservative]

"... will eventually enable camouflaged objects virtually transparent by wearing an optical device."

So, no optical device worn = no "invisibility"

Wow. Big deal.

[JustAnAmerican]

Didn't the Army test this sort of technology (making something invisible)? Seems I remember something that happened around WWII, that involved using Magnetic waves to make a Destroyer/Aircraft Carrier disapear. From what I understand the outcome of that experiment is still kind of hush, hush.

[NP-INCOMPLETE]

We are both wrong, I went to their research site. The image of the background was previously rendered on a computer and then projected in infared onto the object, in this case the coat, from a separate projector in front of the person. The infared light hits the special retroflective material and radiates visible light, albeit with much lesser intensity. Thats why the background image is only projected onto the person's suit. Not real invisibility, since the suit cannot emanate its own light nor can it take images of the background in realtime.

[Paul Atreides]

Just don't stand outside on a sunny day and expect to fool anyone. It won't stop you from casting a shadow.

[RS]

This "technology" appears to be just a reversal of the "blue screen" used for TV weathermen.

Now if we can only get the bad guys to wear these goggles we devised....

[rudy45]

From Star Trek "Balance of Terror"

(Spock) "Invisibility is theoretically possible--the selective bending of light rays--but the power cost is enormous. They [the Romulans] may have found a way to solve that problem."

[swarthyguy]

Nothing shows on the post. Why is it blank where the text should be?

[Shermy]

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[NP-INCOMPLETE]

Now if we can only get the bad guys to wear these goggles we devised....

An interesting application of this technology would be to mount huge infared projectors unto reconisance or support aircraft. Digitally render the terrain of an urban combat zone. Load the renderings into the projectors, and then fly the planes over the warzone, with the projectors on. Then send in troops with the retro-reflective coats. To the enemy the troops would be nearly invisible.

[swarthyguy]

LOL! Hope the Mods don't pull it. Looks rather obscene to me.