Invisibility Cloak Invented By Chinese Students: Is Low-Cost & Hides Wearers From Security Cameras

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Watching the Harry Potter movie during the May Movie Marathons are a memory we all (Indians) collectively share - and along with the Potter mania came the ardent love for all things magical. And I don't know about you, but boy, was I entirely captivated by the Invisibility Cloak Harry gets from Professor Dumbledore.

It lets you travel anywhere without being noticed - the best spyware to ever exist right? Sigh, only if it were real.

Wait, it is real - NOW.

According to a report published by South China Morning Post, graduate students from China have developed an invisibility coat which is visible to the human eye but has peculiar patterns all over it which blind the cameras during the day and release heat signals during the night.

This so-called invisibility cloak, also called InvisDefense, blinds the camera with patterns during the day and sends unusual heat signals at night to get around artificial intelligence surveillance.

The InvisDefense coat won first prize in the China Postgraduate Innovation and Practice Competitions sponsored by Huawei Technologies Co on November 27, according to a Chinese publication.

During the day, the InvisDefense coat provides a camouflage pattern to inhibit the recognition algorithm of machine vision. At night, the coat confuses the infrared camera by interfering with the temperature-detecting module.

A PhD student responsible for the core algorithm of the InvisDefense coat, Wei Hui, told the publication that the camouflage pattern was the most challenging aspect.

"Traditionally, researchers used bright images to interfere with machine vision and it did work. But it stands out to human eyes, making the user even more conspicuous," Wei said.

The project was overseen by Professor Wang Zheng of Wuhan University's school of computer science.

"Nowadays, many surveillance devices can detect human bodies. Cameras on the road have pedestrian detection functions and smart cars can identify pedestrians, roads and obstacles. Our InvisDefense allows the camera to capture you, but it cannot tell if you are human," said Wang.

Prior to developing the technology, the team appeared to have conducted hundreds of tests. Among the biggest advantages of the invisibility cloak is the low price. The creators claim printing the pattern on the surface is relatively inexpensive, and the infrared camera can be blinded with only four temperature control modules. The initial cost is CNY 500 (approximately Rs 6,000).

The coat, if perfected, would be useful in countries like China and some South East Asian countries where the government uses AI-powered surveillance cameras extensively. Additionally, it is possible that governments will either ban the technology or improve existing systems to detect such 'invisibility cloaks'.