At the University of Rochester in New York, scientists have manage to create a cheap 'invisibility cloak' effect by using available materials and a lot of thought. With a combination of certain optical lenses, any object that passes behind a certain area in a line of site can disappear from view, thus creating the illusion of invisibility. The object is called "The Rochester Cloak", and uses a simplified four-lens system that more or less bend the light around and object that you place in the middle of a chain. You are able to see the area in the back of the object normally but not the object in the foreground.
The Cloak may be enlarged to use any size of lens. All of the objects used to make it were from a shelf in the hardware store. The idea of invisibility has become a very popular idea from science fiction and Harry Potter. The cloak can be used for surgery, in the military, in interior design, and art. The most interesting aspect of this invisibility cloak is that it is inexpensive and works in different angles, as long as the item remains in between the series of lenses. There is a patent pending for the invention but John Howell and Joseph Choi, the creators of this invention, put together instructions to make your own Rochester Cloak at home for less than $100.
