Science & Technology

UK soldiers test out new 'invisibility cloak'

By T.K. Randall
March 21, 2016

Image: Soldiers Training in Iraq
Credit: Petty Officer 2nd Class Kim Smith / (PD) U.S. Navy The revolutionary new material, which is even able to hide someone from enemies using infra-red and heat-seeking equipment, could soon become a staple battlefield accessory.

Its effectiveness was demonstrated recently during field trials in Georgia where British snipers built hideaways to conceal themselves from enemy combatants on a mock battlefield.

There are now calls for the UK government to invest in the material as well.

"This is an absolutely brilliant piece of kit," said Corporal Tyrone Hoole."The lads are desperate for the Army to buy it. Instead of carrying chicken wire, spray paint and thermal sheets we can use this one item, which is really light.”

Research in to the development of increasingly effective cloaking technologies has been going from strength to strength in recent years with scientists working on a number of different solutions.

One of these, which is attempting to replicate the way cephalopods such as squids change color to mimic their surroundings, uses thousands of tiny cells to detect the colors around it and a special heat-sensitive dye that can change color when electrical signals are sent to it.

"I have high hopes for its use in military camouflage," said Professor Xuanhe Zhao. "Dynamic camouflage would allow soldiers and their vehicles to adapt to their surroundings instantly."

Source: New Zealand Herald

Tags: Vatec, Invisible, Cloak