Real life cloaking device!

[MegaAnimeFan]

It only works on thermal infrared wavelengths (to make vehicles invisible to thermal cameras), and not visible light (like in Star Trek). However it is a MAJOR step to making other cloaking technology. Watch this youtube video to see it in action.



Notice it can also display text on the side of vesicles in the thermal infrared spectrum, so that messages can be sent to those with thermal cameras.

[nrL]

 

keep talking...

[Eris]

It's easy to cloak stuff in the IR spectrum. Just cool the object down to the same temperature as it's background. There is very little passive IR light to begin with (the sky is opaque to most of the sun's IR spectrum, which is part of why we can't see it), so the main source of IR light are going to be emitted by the object itself (as heat). And that factor is controllable.

[MegaAnimeFan]

This though was different. This though had special IR sensors on one side of the vehicle and IR emitters that emitted in the thermal IR spectrum on the other. So it allowed one side of the vehicle it to emit a pattern IDENTICAL to the pattern of IR emissions coming from the background behind the vehicle. So rather than generally blending in with the surroundings (as maintaining an average temp the same as the average background temp would accomplish), this technology makes it seem to enemies on one side of the vehicle as if that vehicle is in fact completely transparent (if they are using thermal scopes, so it is only useful on a very dark night, so the target can't be spotted visually). While therefore limited in its cloaking ability, it is a good step in the right direction. Because of the array of thermal IR emitters on the vehicle, it can also be used to display messages like those LED advertising signs, but the messages will only be visible to those with thermal cameras (useful potentially for sending hidden messages in the battle field, assuming your enemy isn't using thermal cams, and assuming that your fellow soldiers have such thermal cameras with them at the time). It can even display patterns for other vehicles, making your tank look like a car, and not attract a lot of enemy attention (again, only works in thermal IR wavelengths).

[DOOM!]

Come on, they've spotted fully cloaked tanks in England and we're supposed to believe this residue technology is the top notch?
And still, how does it make my life easier to know the gov't can hide tanks in my backyard?

[MegaAnimeFan]

how does it make my life easier to know the gov't can hide tanks in my backyard?

You would need to be using a thermal scope for this to be effective, and those are used only at night, so it can still be seen in the day with the unaided eye. Don't worry, there is no currently possible way to make a tank invisible in the "visible light" part of the spectrum.

[nrL]

And still, how does it make my life easier to know the gov't can hide tanks in my backyard?

Now that you know what they can do you can prepare and not let any tank catch you off-guard!