3D-Printed Cloaking Devices. Yes Really.
Well acoustic cloaking anyway. Duke University has created a pyramid of layered plastic intricately layered and cut with precise holes so when any sound wave such as sonar hits the device, the waves appear as if they are coming from the surrounding. Basically the device and anything beneath it are hidden. I am sure the military can’t wait to get their hands on this sort of technology. Stealth indeed.
Also important are the consumer applications. You may not have to deal with your noisy neighbor for much longer. Noise isolating headphones? Sure. And this list goes on. A little demonstration…
3D-printing has already made some serious headway in the world of material science. Some of the newest most intriguing materials are ones which are designed with properties that are not found in nature, also called metamaterials. This cloaking device is a perfect example. With an infinite amount of arrangements of atoms and nano-scale materials, we are just now beginning to understand the possibilities that exist. As precision in 3d-printing will undoubtedly persist in improving, the possibilities for these materials increase dramatically.
Optical cloaking is not so much science fiction anymore as it is lack of current precision in creating materials. At the nano scale, it is more than plausible to be able to bend light around an object appearing to the viewer as if nothing were there. We are certainly getting close to that sort of intricacy in 3d-printing too, nano scale batteries for example.