Just off the heels of the advancements in optical invisibility cloaks that work by diffracting light, as reported by HNGN here and here, a new study has led to the development of a thermal invisibility cloak that can redirect heat, according to the American Institute of Physics. The cloak was designed by scientists at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore and actively alters temperature distribution and heat flow.
The cloak can be switched on and off at will and is made up of 24 thermoelectric modules that act as heat pumps, distributing heat from one place to another, according to Live Science.
The device has the potential to be used for many applications including in the military and fashion industries.
"Because of its shape flexibility, the active thermal cloak might also be applied in human garments for effective cooling and warming, which makes a lot of sense in tropical areas such as Singapore," said Baile Zhang of NTU.
The researchers plan to continue developing the cloak to increase its heat distribution efficiency, according to Mid-Day Daily, and say it will be some time before it's ready to be integrated into products.
"Although the current shows the possibility of controllable thermal cloaking, it's not an off-the-shelf product, and it will take years to incorporate this work into current heat-dissipation technologies," said Zhang.
