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September 15, 2004

Ever wish you could be invisible?

With a new invention, you can!!

While the technology is still pretty rough, the idea is to video the view from one side of an object and project it on the other side.  This gives the appearance that the object isn't there.  Some links to the story are here, here, and here.

The James Bond movie Die Another Day used the idea to make the Aston-Martin disappear.  However, the uses are only limited by imagination.  Pilots to "see through" the floor of the aircraft on landing, and surgeons could "see through" their hands during surgery.

Personally, I think shadows would give away anyone trying to hide in plain sight.  The person would cast a shadow, which the camera would pick up and project as part of the image on the front.  It would look mighty suspicious to see a shadow on the sidewalk, without a solid object blocking the light.  Of course, if a computer can generate a yellow first-down line on a football field, it can probably erase a shadow.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  Maybe my dream of being like Wonder-Woman and flying an invisible jet wasn't so far fetched after all.

Posted by at 11:25 AM.
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