Toyota has patented a 'cloaking device'

nivek

As Above So Below
I don't know if drivers could get used to this, but possibly...


From cloaking devices that conceal spaceships, to Harry Potter’s hand-me-down disappearing blanket, or even the One Ring and its power to conceal its wearer, invisibility is a staple in science fiction and fiction in general. Scientists have been hard at work, however, to bring such a technology into reality. Joining the research and development of cloaking technology is Japanese car manufacturer Toyota.

The company recently acquired a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for “Apparatuses and methods for making an object appear transparent,” which Toyota filed last June 17. Seems exciting, especially since it’s a car maker working on an invisibility tech or cloaking device. It actually is interesting, but not because it’s meant to turn Toyota’s cars invisible — well, at least not all of them.

toyota-patent_13279294718dee59f390bfbc7ef982cd.focal-678x442.png


According to Toyota, such a technology is already possible — like the Rochester Cloak — but it would require video cameras and other expensive equipment for it to work in cars. This cloaking device, on the other hand, would be a less expensive solution. It would use mirrors to bend visible light around the A-pillars to allow the driver to “see” through them. This would give drivers a wider view of the road and their surroundings. It also benefits pedestrians, as drivers would see them better.

“Light from an object on an object-side of the cloaking device [i.e., facing the road] is directed around an article [the A-pillars] ]within the cloaking region and forms an image on an image-side of the cloaking device [i.e., facing the driver’s seat] such the article appears transparent to an observer looking towards the object,” according to a description of the device in the patent.

Making things “invisible” is all about manipulating light. The other invisibility technologies currently being developed do the same thing, albeit using different methods or materials. For instance, researchers from the Max Planck Institute are working on mimicking the biology of moths’ eyes to turn lenses and glass invisible. Meanwhile, a group from the University of California, San Diego is controlling how light reflects on objects using a thin “carpet cloak” made form Teflon and ceramic particles.

All of these studies bring us closer to a working invisibility cloak, or at least a technology which allows us to see through objects by making them bend light — like Toyota’s device. We will have to wait and see.

The surprising reason Toyota just patented a 'cloaking device'
 

Sheltie

Fratty and out of touch.
I'm convinced fire trucks and ambulances already have cloaking devices. You never see them until they're right on your bumper.
 
I don't know if drivers could get used to this, but possibly...




toyota-patent_13279294718dee59f390bfbc7ef982cd.focal-678x442.png




The surprising reason Toyota just patented a 'cloaking device'
Technically not a cloaking device, however it does bear the same concept. I had this idea about a decade ago using the same concept to create clothing that would do the same, for instance a T-shirt with microscopic cameras embedded into the fabric on the rear side of the shirt which would project whatever image is behind to the front of the shirt which is a screen, in essence like a cloaking shirt as a P.O.C. But like many good ideas ive had in the past, ive dismissed and let go :)
 

wwkirk

Divine
If made available to the public, it would likely lead to an increase in accidents. So what is its intended purpose? Military? Surveillance?
 

The shadow

The shadow knows!
Technically not a cloaking device, however it does bear the same concept. I had this idea about a decade ago using the same concept to create clothing that would do the same, for instance a T-shirt with microscopic cameras embedded into the fabric on the rear side of the shirt which would project whatever image is behind to the front of the shirt which is a screen, in essence like a cloaking shirt as a P.O.C. But like many good ideas ive had in the past, ive dismissed and let go :)
Welcome to AE
 

michael59

Celestial
Ta Daaaa....

invisicar.jpg

I agree with wwkirk's assessment. It's a stupid idea if they intend to make it a consumer product. It is still pretty cool to look at though. :yes3:
 
Top