Real-World Applications

While an invisibility cloak is an interesting application of optical camouflage, it's probably not the most useful one. Here are some practical ways the technology might be applied:

• Pilots landing a plane could use this technology to make cockpit floors transparent. This would enable them to see the runway and the landing gear simply by glancing down.

   

• Doctors performing surgery could use optical camouflage to see through their hands and instruments to the underlying tissue. See Tachi Lab: Optical Camouflage: oc-phantom.mpg to watch a video of how this might work.

   

• Providing a view of the outside in windowless rooms is one of the more fanciful applications of the technology, but one that might improve the psychological well-being of people in such environments.

   

• Drivers backing up cars could benefit one day from optical camouflage. A quick glance backward through a transparent rear hatch or tailgate would make it easy to know when to stop.

One of the most promising applications of this technology, however, has less to do with making objects invisible and more about making them visible. The concept is called mutual telexistence: working and perceiving with the feeling that you are in several places at once. Here's how it works:

 

• Human user A is at one location while his telexistence robot A is at another location with human user B.
• Human user B is at one location while his telexistence robot B is at another location with human user A.
• Both telexistence robots are covered in retro-reflective material so that they act like screens.
• With video cameras and projectors at each location, the images of the two human users are projected onto their respective robots in the remote locations.
• This gives each human the perception that he is working with another human instead of a robot.

Right now, mutual telexistence is science fiction, but it won't be for long as scientists continue to push the boundaries of the technology. For example, pervasive gaming is already becoming a reality. Pervasive gaming extends gaming experiences out into the real world, whether on city streets or in remote wilderness. Players with mobile displays move through the world while sensors capture information about their environment, including their location. This information is used to deliver users a gaming experience that changes according to where they are and what they are doing.

For more information on the invisibility cloak, optical camouflage and related topics, check out the links on the next page.