When J.K Rowling penned Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone, she captured the minds of teenagers and adults alike to the endless possibilities posed by an Invisibility Cloak – not to mention the mischief.
As far as 800 BC the concept was being discussed in the Greek Myths. Perseus is said to have worn the invisible cap of Hades to defeat Medusa. Forget the space race, the rat race; it’s the dawn of the invisibility race. Around the globe teams of researchers are undertaking the task of creating the first functioning cloaking devices. So what’s on offer to muggles craving to camouflage?
Perhaps the most well-known are cloaks developed at the University of Tokyo. Don a retro reflective coat and you vanish! Maybe not; remember to buy a video camera, computer and projector first. The background is captured, processed via a computer before projecting the image on a coat with aid of a combiner (special mirror). As light is reflected in the same path it enters from one perspective our wizarding trio would be invisible. Whilst from another completely visible if not oddly dressed.
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