A new initiative intends to create and market a true “invisible shield” that provides “high-resolution invisibility” via light reflection. The Invisibility Shield Co, a UK-based start-up, is still in the crowdfunding stage, but the concept looks promising based on the first material released by the team.
The transparent-looking plastic panel is powered by the sun and does not require any extra energy. Instead, it employs a high-tech optical lens that ingeniously reflects light to make the topic behind the screen appear to be invisible. The panel seems translucent, but it’s really displaying a hazy image of what’s behind it. The effectiveness of the illusion is affected by light and the apparel worn by the person behind the shield, but the start-up claims that the effects are the same whether the spectator stands 5 meters (16 feet) or 100 meters (16 feet) away from the shield.
It operates in the same way as lenticular printing, which produces slightly ridged images that appear three-dimensional depending on how you look at them. “Each shield employs a precision-designed lens array to deflect much of the light reflected from the subject away from the observer, sending it sideways across the shield’s face to the left and right “On their Kickstarter page, the firm writes:
“This background light is essentially spread horizontally over the front face of the shield, across the region where the subject would typically be viewed, from the observer’s perspective, “They also add. The goal for the crowdfunding campaign has already been met. After starting with a £5,000 ($6,540) target, the project has garnered nearly £163,000 ($214,134) from 1,065 supporters as of April 6 – and there’s still over a month to go.
A few years ago, a slew of comparable goods arose, but many of them ran into roadblocks and seemed to vanish. Invisibility Shield Co noticed a need in the market and chose to fill it. “Frustrated by the lack of development and the persistent lack of true functional invisibility shields,” the start-up continues, “we decided to ratchet things up and go all in on our mission to construct one.”
They’ve made 25 totally working invisibility shields so far, but they’re hoping to expand with their new funds. They want to make two sizes: a little one that is roughly 21 by 31 centimeters (8.3 by 12.2 inches) and will cost £49 ($64), and a larger one that will cost £299 ($391) and will measure 65 by 95 centimeters. Additionally, the shields are 100% recyclable, which is always a bonus.
