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Technology

Camouflage inspired by leaves can hide things in visible and infrared

A layered material reflects infrared and visible light to mimic the appearance of leaves, and could be used to camouflage objects against foliage in forest settings

By Karmela Padavic-Callaghan

1 February 2024

fresh green leaves

Hiding objects among trees may be about to get easier

c11yg/Getty Images

A bionic form of camouflage designed to reflect both visible and infrared light and mimic the appearance of leafy foliage could be used to hide technology such as surveillance equipment in forest settings.

“We wanted our device to mimic the way natural leaves look under different kinds of cameras, not just to the human eye,” says at the University of Science and Technology of China. He and his colleagues worked out how to do so by studying the internal structure of camphor tree () leaves.…

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