Russian scientists develop invisibility cloak for soldiers to hide from enemy radars

Scientists from the Saratov State University in Russia have developed a custom-made invisibility cloak for soldiers that will help the camouflage with their background without being detected by radars and radio devices.

The cloak is not like the one seen in fictional content like Harry Potter movies but can be a crucial defence technique of the future as enemy troops will not be able to detect soldiers in hiding. By using radio-absorbing properties it will allow soldiers in ordinary uniforms to be invisible to the enemy's radar devices

"It will allow to impart radio-absorbing properties of any fabric practically without changing its mass and other parameters, in other words — it allows to make fighters dressed in ordinary uniform invisible to radar reconnaissance devices," said a statement from the scientists accessed by Sputnik.

The cloak consists of a sophisticated membrane that uses nano-processing technology. Tiny light-sensitive cells embedded can detect surrounding colours and electrical signals then trigger the top layer to imitate those colours by using heat-sensitive dyes. Using this technology, military gear can be developed to suit a wide range of temperatures and loads.

The technology was first developed by the University of Illinois and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which other military research tanks have advanced. The US and the UK military has already tested a range of these cloaks since 2015 but continue to develop advanced technology to master the art of camouflaging.