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INTRO
A team of Chinese and Singaporean researchers have created a real-life "invisibility cloak."
The cloaking device is no hocus-pocus.
It has already been successfully used to make a goldfish and a cat disappear while moving.
Let's take a look.
PKG
The "invisibility cloak" was created by researchers from east China's Zhejiang University and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
A member of the research team from Zhejiang University demonstrated what happened when a pencil was put through the apparatus.
It showed the middle of the pencil "disappear" while the top and bottom remained visible.
The secret of the invisibility cloak lies on thin panels of glass that make objects invisible by bending light around them.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) ZHENG BIN, Member of research team:
"The images we see are made up of light reflected from the objects we look at. This light enters our eyes. Now we want to make an object invisible, then we have to control the track of the light, making it bypass the object before entering our eyes."
Researchers found human eyes are not sensitive to light's phase and minute delay.
So they chose to use glass to make the device because it is transparent and has a smooth surface.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) ZHENG BIN, Member of research team:
"One of the major advantages of this device is its material. Compared with some other devices, glass is easier to obtain and process. Its effective invisible area is also relatively large. With further improvement, the device can be more accurate with enhanced effect."
Researchers developed a hexagonal column-shaped device for the experiment, which is most effective for when light is shown at all angles.
And they demonstrated how the device works in terms of a fish...
And what happens when it's a cat's turn...
The researchers told us that this technology is still at an early stage as it is most effective when the light comes from a single angle.
And the cloak can only make objects invisible in a narrow spectrum of light.
But they believe that, while there are still some technical limitations, the device has huge potential.
