> Although the current cloak represents a major advance, the researchers want to develop more sophisticated versions capable of performing additional functions. One particularly important goal is to conceal objects that produce heat themselves
I read the entire thing thinking it could cloak a soldier
This headline is wrong. This has nothing to do with thermal cameras. It's "cloaking" by making it appear to have the same bulk thermal properties as it's surroundings.
schiffern 3 hours ago [-]
Yes. Unfortunately many people are reading this thinking it's a FLIR invisibility cloak.
Notably it only works after the heat flow settles back down to equilibrium. If you're moving, it doesn't work.
natpalmer1776 2 hours ago [-]
Which seems like it would be good for fixed installations that need to remain undetected, no?
schiffern 54 minutes ago [-]
The other caveat is that it only works if you're embedded inside a solid object. ;)
If you're in free space, the surface can't shine its IR differently in different directions, so under FLIR it will just look like the average ambient temperature. This is no better than existing (cheap and light) space blanket camo systems.
dalmo3 2 hours ago [-]
I've always wanted to hide apples inside pears.
tescreal 3 hours ago [-]
Next cyberpunk wizpop toy: thermoptic cameoflage.
The future is turning out to be fascinating as concerning.
jagged-chisel 4 hours ago [-]
Does this work for things that emit heat?
SeanAnderson 4 hours ago [-]
Doesn't everything emit heat? :)
4 hours ago [-]
glitchc 4 hours ago [-]
Let me answer your question with a question: Does the infrared camera detect emitted heat?
jagged-chisel 1 hours ago [-]
Generally? Yes.
In this case? No idea.
thenthenthen 3 hours ago [-]
The article mentions thats the next step
nxobject 3 hours ago [-]
A Faraday for heat, eh?
bamboozled 3 hours ago [-]
Bad luck skynet
keyle 3 hours ago [-]
And that Predator monster!
graboy 4 hours ago [-]
Wow, a blanket!
thenthenthen 3 hours ago [-]
More like an iron maiden
SV_BubbleTime 5 hours ago [-]
[flagged]
jdlshore 5 hours ago [-]
Is dismissing people’s work so rudely how you make yourself feel superior?
thin_carapace 5 hours ago [-]
that guy taught me something new about glass in a snarky fashion , while you delivered pure snark. no comment to add, merely an observation
tarpitt 5 hours ago [-]
you can't make a drone entirely out of glass
onion2k 5 hours ago [-]
Can you fly a drone that's covered with a cloak?
mrandish 4 hours ago [-]
Probably not very well if the drone is the typical (quad)copter type since the shield will likely obstruct the airflow from the propellers reducing lift. The added weight of the shield is also likely to be a problem in small drones as most are already weight constrained. Although in small electric copters like those used in Ukraine, I'm not sure how often thermal imaging is used as a primary detection vector (due to size, distance and daytime thermal delta from below).
Thermal is definitely a primary vector in detecting larger drones like the Reaper due to large combustion or jet engines, but in that case the challenge isn't cloaking the drone, it's cloaking the heat of the vented exhaust that's likely leaving a thermal 'contrail' across the sky.
Rendered at 03:19:04 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) with Vercel.
I read the entire thing thinking it could cloak a soldier
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73167-0
FYI Ukraine already has FLIR invisibility cloaks (fancy camo space blankets): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfdF3iIwoX4
This is thermal cloak, explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2RJi4mRZ0&t=52s
Notably it only works after the heat flow settles back down to equilibrium. If you're moving, it doesn't work.
If you're in free space, the surface can't shine its IR differently in different directions, so under FLIR it will just look like the average ambient temperature. This is no better than existing (cheap and light) space blanket camo systems.
The future is turning out to be fascinating as concerning.
In this case? No idea.
Thermal is definitely a primary vector in detecting larger drones like the Reaper due to large combustion or jet engines, but in that case the challenge isn't cloaking the drone, it's cloaking the heat of the vented exhaust that's likely leaving a thermal 'contrail' across the sky.