3D-printed aluminum lattice guides heat around protected inner core -- images: courtesy of UIUC and DTU

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Technical University of Denmark have developed a free-form 3D thermal cloak that can hide complex objects from infrared detection. Instead of simply blocking heat and leaving behind a suspicious cold patch, the device guides thermal energy around a protected space before allowing it to continue on its original path. From the outside, the temperature pattern appears largely undisturbed — which is considerably more convincing than placing a very obvious thermal wall around whatever you are trying to hide.

3D printed cloak tricks infrared cameras through carefully redirected heat