Scientists develop 3D cloak that hides complex objects from infrared cameras

AI representation of the device in demonstration in front of an infrared camera Back in the day, watching Harry Potter, we all wanted the invisibility cloak. Maybe it sounded impossible then, but now researchers have developed a groundbreaking invisibility cloak that can actually hide complex objects from infrared cameras while protecting them from extreme heat and cold. This breakthrough might lead to new ways to hide microchips from being detected through their thermal signatures and, at the same time, to cool and safeguard delicate electronics.The research was conducted by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign civil and environmental engineering professor Shelly Zhang, postdoctoral researcher Weichen Li, and graduate student Yibo Wang, in collaboration with Professor Ole Sigmund of the Technical University of Denmark. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.As Zhang said, "A real thermal cloak should work no matter where the heat comes from; our device can hide a complex 3D object in an infinite number of directions while keeping the temperature inside stable and protected."Earlier, thermal cloaks were limited to two dimensions or worked only when heat travelled...