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Concept
Invisibility
Summary
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology.
Since objects can be seen by light in the visible spectrum from a source reflecting off their surfaces and hitting the viewer's eye, the most natural form of invisibility (whether real or fictional) is an object that neither reflects nor absorbs light (that is, it allows light to pass through it). This is known as
transparency, and is seen in many naturally occurring materials (although no naturally occurring material is 100% transparent).
Invisibility perception depends on several optical and visual factors. For example, invisibility depends on the eyes of the observer and/or the instruments used. Thus an object can be classified as "invisible to" a person, animal, instrument, etc. In research on sensorial perception it has been shown that invisibility is perceived in cycles.
Invisibility is often considered to be the supreme form of camouflage, as it does not reveal to the viewer any kind of vital signs, visual effects, or any frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum detectable to the human eye, instead making use of radio, infrared or ultraviolet wavelengths.
In illusion optics, invisibility is a special case of illusion effects: the illusion of free space.
The term is often used in fantasy and science fiction, where objects cannot be seen by means of magic or hypothetical technology.
Cloak of Invisibility
Technology can be used theoretically or practically to render real-world objects invisible.
Making use of a real-time image displayed on a wearable display, it is possible to create a see-through effect. This is known as active camouflage. Though stealth technology is declared to be invisible to radar, all officially disclosed applications of the technology can only reduce the size and/or clarity of the signature detected by radar.
In 2003 the Chilean scientist Gunther Uhlmann postulates the first mathematical equations to create invisible materials.
Official source
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Related concepts (5)
Active camouflage
Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage is camouflage that adapts, often rapidly, to the surroundings of an object such as an animal or military vehicle. In theory, active camouflage could provide perfect concealment from visual detection. Active camouflage is used in several groups of animals, including reptiles on land, and cephalopod molluscs and flatfish in the sea. Animals achieve active camouflage both by color change and (among marine animals such as squid) by counter-illumination, with the use of bioluminescence.
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology. Since objects can be seen by light in the visible spectrum from a source reflecting off their surfaces and hitting the viewer's eye, the most natural form of invisibility (whether real or fictional) is an object that neither reflects nor absorbs light (that is, it allows light to pass through it).
Metamaterial
A metamaterial (from the Greek word μετά meta, meaning "beyond" or "after", and the Latin word materia, meaning "matter" or "material") is any material engineered to have a property that is rarely observed in naturally occurring materials. They are made from assemblies of multiple elements fashioned from composite materials such as metals and plastics. These materials are usually arranged in repeating patterns, at scales that are smaller than the wavelengths of the phenomena they influence.
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Extreme Field Control with Electromagnetic Metasurfaces
Explores recent advances in metamaterials, focusing on metasurfaces and their unique field-transforming properties.