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Product: Camouflage
fibre optic and lens cloaking   (0)  [vote for, against]

Cloaking or invisibility devices have been proposed many times. A popular solution uses a camera and display. The problems with this approach include the complexity and only working from one viewing angle.

I propose a cloaking device that uses optic fibres and lenses, which will work at a range of angles.

First consider a bundle of optic fibres (see link to optic fibre image conduit). This will transmit an image from one end of the optic fibre bundle to the other. The problem is that the light is collimated and the image is only taken from one angle.

I propose using a bundle of fibre optics with a Luneburg lens at each end of the optic fibre bundle (see my idea Luneburg microlens array for more explanation of Luneburg lenses). Here is an attempted illustration:

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-O

So light that enters the Luneburg lens is focused onto a point on the opposite side of the Luneburg lens. It then travels down an optic fibre. Then exits through the other Luneburg lens.

The image travelling down the optic fibre would need to be inverted, which could be done most easily with a ordinary convex lens.

For a medium-ish resolution camouflage, each Luneburg lens would be 1mm in diameter. A 20x20 array/bundle of optic fibres each of diameter of 25µm would 'flare out' and attach to the surface of the Luneburg lens. The bundle would then taper and have a diameter of 500µm.

This arrangement would give a single input/output pixel pair. A bunch of these would be arranged such that space in the middle could be formed in which the thing/person can be concealed.
-- xaviergisz, Dec 16 2020

Fibre optic image conduit https://gfycat.com/...emandingharrierhawk
[xaviergisz, Dec 16 2020]

Luneburg lens https://en.m.wikipe.../wiki/Luneburg_lens
[xaviergisz, Dec 16 2020]

Luneburg microlens array
[xaviergisz, Dec 16 2020]

Homemade optical camouflage
Another camouflage idea using optic fibre
[xaviergisz, Dec 16 2020]

As I mentioned on [solid_slug]s similar idea, it's not a "single in, single out" problem, so this won't work (except for a particular viewpoint).
-- neutrinos_shadow, Dec 16 2020



random, halfbakery