First 3-D Acoustic Cloak Hides Objects From Sonar
Sound Waves Cloak L. Sanchis et al, via Science NewsIt's just simple plastic rings! This plastic ring system doesn't exactly make the eight-centimeter ball inside less noticeable to the eye-but it does make the ball undetectable to sonar at a specific pitch. Spanish scientists have created the first cloaking device to completely shield a 3-D object from sonar, Science News reported. Another cool thing about the device: It's one of the simplest invisibility cloaks ever made. Most cloaking devices are made of sophisticated lab-made stuff called metamaterials, which are engineered to have properties that don't appear in nature… you know, like scattering light waves, microwaves or sound waves in such a way that they're invisible to devices that detect those waves. This device, on the other hand, is made of 3-D printed plastic. The shape of the plastic rings is the secret to its sonar invisibility. Its creators, a team...