A paper-thin material that requires no power source can render anything — be it soldiers, tanks, or ships — invisible as long as the object is behind the panel. The cloak not only hides things in the visible spectrum, but also bends ultraviolet, infrared, and shortwave infrared. The end result is a complete “broadband invisibility cloak.”
The smart material was designed by Hyperstealth Biotechnology, a Canadian firm that specializes in manufacturing camouflage gear for militaries across the world. Recently, the company filed for a patent that describes what may be the ultimate camouflage: the Quantum Stealth (Light Bending Material), otherwise known as the Invisibility Cloak.
Hyperstealth Biotechnology claims that it has developed 13 versions of the material, one of which works in any environment and in all four seasons.
According to Guy Cramer, CEO of Hyperstealth Biotechnology, the material works by bending light such that only the background is visible and the target, a person for example, is removed from view when behind the material. You can watch more than an hour’s worth of footage showing the technology in action on the company’s website.
The technology has already been tested by both the U.S. and Canadian military, which have confirmed that it also works against military IR scopes and thermal optics.