Japanese College Student Invents Invisibility Cloak

[Evil Dr. Reef]

For all you Harry Potter fans out there:

From CNN.com: (http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/02/07/japan.invisible.ap/index.html)
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/TECH/02/07/japan.invisible.ap/story.japan.invisible.ap.jpg
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 Tokyo University on Wednesday.

The demonstration conducted by Professor of Engineering Susumu Tachi is an early stage of his research that he hopes will eventually render camouflaged objects virtually transparent by wearing an optical device.

The photo was taken through a viewfinder that combines moving images from behind and in front of Obana, who was wearing a luminous jacket to create the transparent effect.

The technology could prove useful for various professions.

Surgeons could use it to see through their own fingers and surgical tools during operations.

Another use could be in aviation where pilots could make cockpit floors transparent.
I want one of those coats.

[The Landstander]

(speechless)

[Discloner]

I want one too!!!

[jeffrey 228]

Oh man, now the fiction is becomming fact, and I may just pull my hair out if I see another thing that is anime related.

[Parallax]

Man if that isn't Photoshop and it is real, I so want one of those! They would probaly be used for war unfortunatly.:(

[Enrique]

uhmm... am i the only one that thinks that this material makes one MORE noticeable? i mean, the guy looks like he's wearing a glow-in-the-dark jacket... that's hardly camoflauge. and it's not just the jacket, i've seen video footage of the material in other forms (brick, ball), and they do indeed look like they glow.

[Zach Logan]

WOW!! :eek:

I WANT ONE OF THOSE!!

[Evil Dr. Reef]

uhmm... am i the only one that thinks that this material makes one MORE noticeable? i mean, the guy looks like he's wearing a glow-in-the-dark jacket... that's hardly camoflauge. and it's not just the jacket, i've seen video footage of the material in other forms (brick, ball), and they do indeed look like they glow.
Well, it's a start. Keep in mind that the first functional airplane only went 13 miles per hour, and a century later we have commuter jets that can travel faster than sound.

[Discloner]

Originally posted by Enrique
uhmm... am i the only one that thinks that this material makes one MORE noticeable? i mean, the guy looks like he's wearing a glow-in-the-dark jacket... that's hardly camoflauge. and it's not just the jacket, i've seen video footage of the material in other forms (brick, ball), and they do indeed look like they glow.

The article says:


Susumu Tachi is an early stage of his research that he hopes will eventually render camouflaged objects virtually transparent by wearing an optical device.


So, eventually would be the key word. I'm assuming this is at it's early stages of development, so it is going to look like that for a while.

[Parallax]

Originally posted by Evil Dr. Reef
Well, it's a start. Keep in mind that the first functional airplane only went 13 miles per hour, and a century later we have commuter jets that can travel faster than sound.

Right, so in about 5-10 years we could have invisibility cloaks could make a person fully invisible which sounds very cool.;)

[Barb Gordon]

*shifty eyes* that is so cool....*flies to Japan and steals jacket* yep....it is very very cool. Mwahahah, now I can be like Harry Potter....minus the scar...and magic...and...nevermind. *cuddles jacket*

~Barb

[Zero Signal]

I gotta have one of those. Hopefully after the military perfects them, then uses them for awhile, they can start selling to us civillians. Predator eat your heart out.

[Discloner]

Transparent Cockpit floors would scare the crap out of me!! :eek:

[The Detective]

*blinks* Is that real? I want one I want one I want one I want one........

[Elven Moon]

How very freaky :eek: I simply must have one! In your FACE, Harry Potter! Mwahahahahaha~

*me in Japan*

Me to teacher: Ohayou gozaimasu, sensei!

Teacher: .... o... ohayou...

*snatches jacket, puts it on and runs away*

Teacher: E?! M-matte! Kuso!

[Sir Gatts]

http://www.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/oc.html
Cool stuff. Probably best not used on public roads. :p

[Pihlajamaa]

That's a transparency coat, not invisibility. I shouldn't have to explain why.

DARPA supposedly has a better version of it, but I've only heard rumors.

[EightOh]

Originally posted by Sir Gatts
http://www.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/oc.html
Cool stuff. Probably best not used on public roads. :p Ah... I saw that site a couple of months ago. It's just flat-out unbelievable. Awesome, awesome stuff. You've gotta start somewhere, and that is definitely "somewhere."

[jeffrey 228]

Originally posted by Sir Gatts
http://www.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/oc.html
Cool stuff. Probably best not used on public roads. :p


Well That there is pretty cpmplacated stuff if you have like na IQ of 1000 then that has to be possable.

[Salvor]

:eek:

[turbomog007]

Well now you see this <insert nearest gift giving holiday> must have gift but remember use it for good not evil;)

[Zechs]

That's really neat.

[Romanesque]

Is it just me, or do a lot of people seem to be missing the point of what's actually going on here? From the Optical Camouflage (http://www.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/oc.html) link...If you project background image onto the masked object, you can observe the masked object just as if it were virtually transparent.In other words, the material itself is only doing two things. It's able to be picked up by imaging equipment to digitally mask it out from the rest of the scene, and it's being used as a surface for a projecter to project onto. It's doing the first thing quite well, but the second thing is what still needs work. Thing is, it still involves a significant equipment setup with cameras, projectors, and computers. It's like a real-time inverse bluescreen effect, but nobody's ever gonna be using this for stealth or invisibility in the near or even distant future. It's hardly sci-fi turned reality, or anything close.

Which isn't to say the technology isn't a significant development. The concept may be simple, but pulling it off has got to be a major challenge. The old 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration deal. I'm sure it'll have plenty of important medical applications too.

--Romey

[DisneyBoy]

I'm all for the progression of our society, but as cool as this coat sounds, you'd think the inventors would realize that their invention will only end up being misused by the military in some way.

Yah...sure, it'd be useful for doctors and pilots, but which industry do you think is really going to go after this discovery?

:rolleyes:

Call me crazy, but I don't see the point in this creation. Humanity needs to think through ideas before trying to make them a reality. If they had, the atomic bomb would never have been invented.

Ahhh.... :(

[a.k.a. Skarr~~]

Well, I'm surprized no one has asked where I am on this? Well, I actually just found out about this 5 minutes ago on Game FAQs!

I think it's cool technology. I want one.

So, now that it's possible, do I got to talk about invisibility again?

[Romanesque]

Originally posted by DisneyBoy
I'm all for the progression of our society, but as cool as this coat sounds, you'd think the inventors would realize that their invention will only end up being misused by the military in some way.Check out the details... the potential for misuse is pretty darn slim.Call me crazy, but I don't see the point in this creation. Humanity needs to think through ideas before trying to make them a reality. If they had, the atomic bomb would never have been invented.With most new inventions, the good and bad go hand in hand. Think about all the knowledge and technology that's required to build an atomic weapon in the first place, then think where we'd still be without it. Sure we might not have the atomic bomb, but we could all still be living in a veritable stone age instead.

--Romey

[RZetlin]

Looks like something out of Ghost in the Shell.

Before you know it there's going to be a military group called Section 9. ;)

So what's next for the Japanese, a ten story mecha? :p

[Pihlajamaa]

Call me crazy, but I don't see the point in this creation. Humanity needs to think through ideas before trying to make them a reality. If they had, the atomic bomb would never have been invented.

And Europe would have fallen to the Soviet Union, and millions of Americans and Japanese would not be alive today.

[randomguy]

It's the coolest Sharper Image novelty ever in the making.

So what's next for the Japanese, a ten story mecha?

God, I hope so. As much as I've wanted to live long enough to see space (unlikely at this point), I've wanted to pilot a giant robot even more. You hear that Japan? Get on the ball.

[Bartak123]

Originally posted by Pihlajamaa
And Europe would have fallen to the Soviet Union, and millions of Americans and Japanese would not be alive today.

It also prevented constant war between two superpowers...

[Sandro]

Ehh, right now, it doesn't look all that impressive. Sure, we've gotten the transparency part down but I can still see green. I'll give it another 5 years or so and then I'll be interested.

[Outlander00]

Originally posted by RZetlin
So what's next for the Japanese, a ten story mecha? :p

Actually... A couple years ago I saw a website about a group of college professors/ engineers of all types were actually attempting to build one. I wish I still had the URL of their project.

EDIT - I found it!! (http://mechaps.com)

[Anyone00]

It looks like something that will be popular at raves in a few years.

And as for the giant bipedal mecha, it always seemed impractical for military use to me.

[Pihlajamaa]

Giant, bipedal robots would be excellent for artillery, I think.

[cross blues]

It looks like their insanely difficult schooling is beneficial after all.

[The Dork Knight]

Well, I'll be damned! It is real! :D

Originally posted by General Skarr
So, now that it's possible, do I got to talk about invisibility again?

NO! :D

- The Dork Knight

[Patrick Bateman]

I'm with Enrique on this one. You might as well have a big sign that says "HEY! LOOK AT ME!". Hardly invisible.

[ZorBrak]

"Snake your mission is to infilitrate shadow moses island, find Kenneth Baker and The DARPA chief, and find out if the terrorists can really launch a nuclear weapon with Metal Gear.. and stop them if they do"

:D ...ah Metal Gear Solid....dude I so want that kind of technology. But this is old news, the US is working on better stealth camo....I soo wish to own some though. No I am not wanting it for pervy reasons people :p ...it would just be so bad ass, and since I already look like Solid Snake (sans the mullet he sported in MGS2 of course) why the hell not? :D You could like mess with your friends and throw stuff at them and they'd think it was a ghost..and...and...and (excuse ZorBrak he is high on coffee again) wee it would be fun! ;)

[Raziel]

FAKE

[Pihlajamaa]

I'll take Inferno over Invisibility any day.

[Jedigreedo]

Hey, do you think you could use that to make a Batcape? That'd be sweet for a real-life Batman costume, you could kneeld own and cacoon yourself with your cape and they'd see through you! :D

[Jade_GL]

This has a bunch of cameras and everything around it, so its just a portable blue screen, right? Ok, so how is this different from any other camera effect or special effect? In fact, it's far from being invisible if you need cameras around you to document the images and somehow create the other image on the cloak. Not only that, but it's bright green!!!!

This is a camera trick. There is nothing special about the coat, it's the science to project the image on the coat that's the science in the piece.

If you read the piece it pretty much says as much.

[jeffrey 228]

Very good info you have there and observation too Jade_GL, but how did you know the stuff in teh first place?

[Anyone00]

Bit off topic and all but...

Originally posted by Pihlajamaa
Giant, bipedal robots would be excellent for artillery, I think.

Large standard artillery is being phased out in favor of guided missiles and longer ranged rockets (the Crusader project was discontinued for this for this reason by the US Army despite millions upon millions being spent on this artillery piece), so your not be going to see a GDI Juggernauts lumbering around the battle field any time soon or probably ever (but you might see something resembeling a Wolverrine, but I'm about to get to that).

The problem with giant bipedal robots is:
1) Being bipedal makes them unnecessarily complicated (even for the US Military :eek: ) for application such as long range artillery or missile platforms.

2)The biggest problem with giant bipedal robots: They're Giant.
Military development has increasingly focused on making things such as vehicles and small artillery pieces smaller and lighter. This is because ground forces have to be moved around faster and the greater emphasis on urban combat. For example the M1 Abrams (sp?) is a excellent tank but it's so big and heavy it's difficult to be transported by any other means besides relatively (compared to aircraft) slow moving ships, it's size makes it vulnerable in urban environments with narrow streets and all, and they're so heavy you don't know if it's weight will cause that bridge leading out of a town in a third world country to collapse.
O.K. lets say we develop bigger cargo planes: it's expensive and bigger airstrips would need to be built (which is expensive from a political stand point).
O.K. What if the Giant mech has a hover system like a Dom: you still need a force about equal to the weight of the vehicle pushing down to cause it to float, that may spare the pavement but it might accidentally blow down some poorly constructed or bombed out structure, and that bridge is still in danger of collapse.

As for space combat, that's really far off and will be probably fought (if it's fought in at all, we can all hope it's not but... well... you know...) will things like bits and things at extremely long range.

Now I could see a bipedal mecha about the size and weight of a humvee or a Bradley(sp?) fighting vehicle that stood 8-10 feet (not 8-10 stories). O.K. that's big but not really giant.

Also as long as giant fighting mecha remain fictional they'll most likely be cooler thus increasing there entertainment value.
"And that's a good thing" :D

Please don't get offended we are talking about giant, fictional, and fun robots.

[Jade_GL]

I had read about his earlier from this article, so I came in slighlty prepared. The article can be found here.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_747591.html

Tha text of this article states that

The illusion was part of a demonstration of optical camouflage technology at Tokyo University.

It is the brainchild of Professor Susumu Tachi who is in the early stage of research he hopes will eventually make camouflaged objects virtually transparent.

The photograph was taken through a viewfinder that uses a combination of moving images taken behind the wearer to give a transparent effect.

It's hoped the technology will be useful for surgeons frustrated their own hands and surgical tools can block their view of operations and pilots who wish cockpit floors were transparent for landings.


If you carefully read the piece it says that

This photo was taken through a viewfinder that provides a combined image of moving images taken behind Obana and him wearing a luminous jacket that makes a transparent effect.

There has to be equipment other than the jacket to create the effect. There is the viewfinder, and as this quote says, there also has to be something which provides the images behind the person. All of this combined is what appears on the coat, but that doesn't make the coat invisible, it's just a form of camera science and trickery.

Also, the piece itself says that

The illusion was part of a demonstration of optical camouflage technology at Tokyo University.

That word "illusion" definitely sticks out to me. It's a word that isn't saying "Wow this thing is making people invisible" it's saying that the technolgy that they are using is creating an illusion. That in itself in not really all that amzing, when you think of other camera tricks and special effects. Still, the combination of everything is pretty cool and maybe someday they won't need the special viewfinder and all of that other jazz.

NOTE: Actually, I just had a somewhat epiphany. The photo was taken THROUGH the viewfinder, so it's not the coat that is invisible, but what you see through the viewfinder combined with the coat. At least, that's what it says when it states

This photo was taken through a viewfinder that provides a combined image of moving images taken behind Obana and him wearing a luminous jacket that makes a transparent effect.[/

So again, it's not even the coat, but the viewfinder. Hah, that's interesting.

[Singin' Stray Cat]

Personally, I'm glad the jacket isn't totally invisible yet. Think about it. Most people thought it was cool, right? Now if everyone thinks it's cool, they're going to rush out to clothing outlets, Wal-marts, garage sales, anyplace that has these jackets...in order to get one. The sheer popularity of the item is sure to give all cashiers massive migraines.

But it gets worse.

Imagine a busy city street full of people walking around wearing invisible jackets. Now if everyone was completely invisible, you'd be lucky to get 10 feet down the sidewalk without bumping into several other people. Or if one's head and hands were still visible...that'd be kinda creepy to look at, y'know? :p

Before anyone sighs and writes a lengthy, serious response to this, I should probably point out that I'm just kidding. :D That's a nifty illusion anyway, even if it isn't complete invisiblity.

[Outlander00]

Originally posted by Singin' Stray Cat
Personally, I'm glad the jacket isn't totally invisible yet. Think about it. Most people thought it was cool, right? Now if everyone thinks it's cool, they're going to rush out to clothing outlets, Wal-marts, garage sales, anyplace that has these jackets...in order to get one. The sheer popularity of the item is sure to give all cashiers massive migraines.

But it gets worse.

Imagine a busy city street full of people walking around wearing invisible jackets. Now if everyone was completely invisible, you'd be lucky to get 10 feet down the sidewalk without bumping into several other people. Or if one's head and hands were still visible...that'd be kinda creepy to look at, y'know? :p

Before anyone sighs and writes a lengthy, serious response to this, I should probably point out that I'm just kidding. :D That's a nifty illusion anyway, even if it isn't complete invisiblity.

Actually... If anything, youre probably right :D

[Romanesque]

Originally posted by Jade_GL
This has a bunch of cameras and everything around it, so its just a portable blue screen, right? Ok, so how is this different from any other camera effect or special effect? In fact, it's far from being invisible if you need cameras around you to document the images and somehow create the other image on the cloak. Not only that, but it's bright green!!!!As always, no eeever listens to lil' ol' Romey. :rolleyes: And yes, it's bright green so the camera's can pick it up and digitally mask it out, as I had pointed out earlier...This is a camera trick. There is nothing special about the coat, it's the science to project the image on the coat that's the science in the piece.It's only a "camera trick" in some instances. In other instances, I believe they are actually projecting images onto the jacket. Still not actual transparency, of course. The coat is actually a little more than a normal green coat, however... something about retroreflective properties and so forth, but again, that's just to help the camera system pick it up.

Anyway, if people would just read the darn stuff in the first place (or look at other posts in the thread), they wouldn't be so confused. =P

Romey
--Nothing personal, just feeling bitter tonight for no good reason...