New 3D thermal invisibility cloak makes objects disappear from infrared cameras | Hacker News Reader

New 3D thermal invisibility cloak makes objects disappear from infrared cameras

sciencedaily.com

116 pointsstevenalowe42 comments

paper article is based on

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-73167-0

This headline is wrong. This has nothing to do with thermal cameras. It's "cloaking" by making it appear to have the same bulk thermal properties as it's surroundings.

Yes. Unfortunately many people are reading this thinking it's a FLIR invisibility cloak.

FYI Ukraine already has FLIR invisibility cloaks (fancy camo space blankets): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfdF3iIwoX4

This is thermal cloak, explained here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM2RJi4mRZ0&t=52s

Notably it only works after the heat flow settles back down to equilibrium. If you're moving, it doesn't work.

There are loads of videos of Ukrainian FPV drones with thermal cameras hunting Russians trying to hide using something like space blankets. The blankets work up to a point, if the target were completely covered they would be hard to spot, but if parts of the soldier are not covered or are revealed during movement, it doesn't work out well for the target.

The videos remind me of the scene in Dune where Paul is hiding from the hunter-seeker that tracks based on movement.

Which seems like it would be good for fixed installations that need to remain undetected, no?

The other caveat is that it only works if you're embedded inside a solid object. ;)

If you're in free space, the surface can't shine its IR differently in different directions, so under FLIR it will just look like the average ambient temperature. This is no better than existing (cheap and light) space blanket camo systems.

The main problem with space blankets is that they eventually heat up. So they only work for a little while, and then have to re-equilibrate back to ambient, then you put them back on, then take off to re-equilibrate...

So this new tech appears to overcome that shortcoming, for static objects.

Well, could be still useful for hiding things in bulk materials ?

From scientific uses (sensors, cables or supports not disrupting experiments) to smuggling/hiding listening devices/trackers or boobytraps in bulk shipments, etc.

More likely craft looking to reduce heat seeking missles or detection. Think better heat diffusion on helicopter or tank exhaust. Fixed installations would use thermal nets or space blankets.

So a "heatpump cooling", store concentrated heat and inject it into the ground would work much better?

> It's "cloaking" by making it appear to have the same bulk thermal properties as it's surroundings.

I'm not sure what you think the difference is?

We have AIs hacking people's computers and brains, and now we have the Major's thermo-optic camouflage. They were right to keep the newest Ghost in the Shell set in 2029-2030. Seems like it's right on time.

This is gonna be going straight to Ukraine

I certainly hope so!

> Although the current cloak represents a major advance, the researchers want to develop more sophisticated versions capable of performing additional functions. One particularly important goal is to conceal objects that produce heat themselves

I read the entire thing thinking it could cloak a soldier

It could cloak a well insulated soldier from being a dark spot on the background.

I believe the Russians tried something similar in Ukraine with cloaking themselves to fool infrared drones.

Using 50 cent Mylar blankets which ... did not work like they hoped from the videos I've seen.

I mean, you're not gonna see the videos in which they did work.

Next cyberpunk wizpop toy: thermoptic cameoflage.

The future is turning out to be fascinating as concerning.

Maybe this could be used to hide a cold spot from a wafer bake pin.

A Faraday for heat, eh?

I've always wanted to hide apples inside pears.

Does this work for things that emit heat?

The article mentions thats the next step

Doesn't everything emit heat? :)

no, the vacuum of space does not emit heat

Interstellar space behaves as an almost perfect blackbody radiator, at a temperature of 2.725 Kelvin, due to the cosmic microwave background. As such, it does "emit heat", albeit an extremely small, but measurable amount.

Let me answer your question with a question: Does the infrared camera detect emitted heat?

Not clear where your question is coming from, but it detects heat that's emitted as infrared radiation.

Generally? Yes.

In this case? No idea.

- future soldier 2 loading....

Bad luck skynet

And that Predator monster!

Wow, a blanket!

When you cover yourself with the blanket, others see the blanket. When you cover yourself with this, others see background.

More like an iron maiden

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