Monday, August 17, 2009

Video: simulated 'quiet zone' cloaking hides an object in 2-D

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/video-simulated-quiet-zone-cloaking-hides-an-object-in-2-d/

Video: simulated 'quiet zone' cloaking hides an object in 2-D
You don't have to be able to pick a Romulan out of a crowd of Vulcans to be intrigued by the idea of cloaking, and indeed many non-trekkers have tried to hide things in plain sight using electromagnetism, accoustic superlenses, or light-bending materials. The latest attempt relies on devices that emit cancelling waves of the sort anyone who's ever seen a Bose commercial should quite familiar with, combining to negate any external, incoming waves. What's different here is that they also recombine on the other side of the object being cloaked, as shown in the video below, meaning that incoming surge is then re-generated and continues on undisturbed -- potentially even reflecting back through the object again should it hit something on the far side. It's part of research at the University of Utah and, for now, only works in a theoretical two-dimensional world where triangles and squares are ruled by pentagons, hexagons, and priestly polygons. Optical camoflage is sadly not believed to be possible using this technique, but sonar and radar are likely implementations, as well as mechanisms to subvert earthquakes, tsunamis, and maybe even neighboring speed metal fans.

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Video: simulated 'quiet zone' cloaking hides an obje! ct in 2- D originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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