New publications
Invisible hat has become a new invention of scientists from Singapore
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Almost every science fiction fan is familiar with the novel "The Invisible Man" by H.G. Wells, where a scientist-physicist invents a machine that turns a person invisible. Until recently, such a story seemed completely unbelievable and the idea of creating such a device seemed phantasmagoric. But, as we know, nothing is impossible for scientists and the recent invention of Singaporean specialists has become yet another confirmation of this.
At Nanyang Technological University, a team of specialists has developed a unique device that makes small objects and even animals invisible. The scientists plan to improve their development, but now the device only works in a one-dimensional plane. The team of developers is headed by Zhang Baile, who admitted that he wanted to create something similar as a child, and now, many years later, he and his colleagues have managed to get closer to the “miracle”.
Professor Baile noted in his interview that in theory the idea of creating such a device had been developed for a very long time, and it took 3 years to bring the idea to life, and the work is not finished yet. To create the miracle device, the team of scientists used the mirror effect, which has long been used in their acts by illusionists and magicians around the world. The scientists explained that the unique invention makes it possible to make half of an object or animal invisible to the eye, while the rest remains visible. Now the specialists are trying to improve their development in such a way that a large part of the object becomes invisible to the human eye, while they are trying to go beyond the boundaries of one-dimensional space.
According to scientists, their invention can be used by the military. In the army, with the help of such an "invisibility cap", it will be possible to make soldiers invisible, and scientists are confident that a person can become invisible not only to human eyes, but also to thermal imagers, which are often used to identify an enemy among the military.
It is worth noting that the attempt by Singaporean developers to create such a device for invisibility is far from the first. Several devices have already been created for defense purposes, and the military has long used various methods of optical distortion and metamaterials (materials that do not occur in nature, created artificially, and have an invisibility effect due to refraction).
For example, in Massachusetts, a group of scientists developed a special camouflage fabric for the military. The experts created the material from camouflage sheets manufactured using a special technology. Stealth technology uses a whole range of methods to reduce visibility for combat vehicles (radio-absorbing materials, geometric shapes, etc.), which allows them to significantly increase their survivability. The new camouflage fabric has already been tested in the Third Rifle Battalion in Britain. Camouflage based on stealth technology makes soldiers completely invisible even when using the latest devices to detect the enemy, such as thermal imagers.