Can China’s Chimera crack invisibility with its hybrid approach to camouflage?
- A combination of the unique traits of chameleons, glass frogs and bearded dragons could form the material for an invisible cloak
- Chinese scientists said their multi-terrain design would be undetectable across microwave, visible light and infrared spectra
The scientists, from Jilin and Tsinghua Universities, say they have designed an experimental version – based on each animal’s distinct natural survival strategy – that could be undetectable across microwave, visible light and infrared spectra.
In a study published on Tuesday by the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers said they took a bionics-based approach to the problem of existing camouflages – their lack of versatility across different terrains.
“Our work transitions camouflage technologies from the constrained scenario to ever-changing terrains and constitutes a big advance towards new-generation reconfigurable electromagnetics [that can] change circuit topologies,” they said.
The study builds on rapid recent advancements in metamaterials – synthetics with the unique ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves – that have been increasingly applied to stealth technologies.
Through precise control of their surface structures, metamaterials can reflect electromagnetic waves in specific ways, effectively rendering objects invisible to radar. But their predefined functions can provide camouflage only in certain environments.