Engineers Devise Invisibility Shield

GerritHoll points out an article in Nature according to which "researchers at the University of Pennsylvania 'say that a "plasmonic cover" could render objects "nearly invisible to an observer.' Earlier attempts at invisibility worked by colouring a screen to match its background, like a chameleon. The described technique is new, because it works by the concept of reducing light scattering. It is not a 'magic cloak,' however, because it will not work for the full range of visible light and needs to be adjusted precisely for the shape of the object. However, the concept could find an application in stealth technology."

Comments

Re:Indeed, it's pretty far from advertised...

[X0563511]

This wouldn't work. The radar would pass through the molecules, only to reflect off of the aircraft skin, and pass back though the molecules.

Now, if it could be set up so that the radar would pass through once, and bounce around between the skin and the coating before finding the right angle to escape, it would probably make the radar bounce off the plane at all kinds of weird angles (making the radar useless).

The problem I'm wondering about is: What happens if the radar can't find a way out? Will it keep bouncing around, loosing energy all the while, heating up both the skin and the coating (this may become an issue)? Or would the time and energy it spent bouncing around untill it escaped be so trivial so as to not matter?

Re:front projection

[Metryq]

There is also a scene where Bond must sneak past some guards and get back in his car...he "hides" behind the car for coverage.