e-Camouflage To Make Tanks Invisible!

The E-ink Triton developed by the MIT Media lab is generally used as an electronic paper in e-readers. But now a days, there is a military use of almost anything. Britain based arms company BAE Systems is trying to develop a technique which will allow E-ink to provide camouflage and disguise to armored vehicles like tanks in versatile environments and land terrains.


Invisible Tank

"Highly sophisticated electronic sensors attached to the tank's hull will project images of the surrounding environment back onto the outside of the vehicle enabling it to merge into the landscape and evade attack," wrote Sean Rayment, The Telegraph's defense correspondent. "The electronic camouflage will enable the vehicle to blend into the surrounding countryside in much the same way that a squid uses ink to help as a disguise."

Traditionally, tanks are painted in a way so as to provide camouflage but this method has limitations. Such camouflages are not versatile.

The scientists in the research and development wing of the BAE Systems are of the opinion that with the help of state of art tactile and video sensors strategically placed on the tank body can make them difficult to detect. The E-ink panels will project the images making the tank virtually invisible. In a way, this technology will make the tank hide just like a chameleon on a tree or a squid in deep sea. The technology is being considered as part of Britain’s Future Protected Vehicle program which was first launched in February 2009. The program focuses on seven defense vehicles fitted with heavy artillery with some being manned and other being self-operated to put troops out of harm’s way.

The unmanned armored vehicles will be containing highly evolved robots capable of executing dangerous work like disarming IEDs, defusing landmines and rescuing injured defense personnel safely.  By 2013, E-ink technology is expected to be used in an “experimental operational capacity” while a prototype vehicle is expected to be ready in the next four years. The company is aiming to bring this technology for the British forces fighting in southern parts of Taliban occupied Afghanistan. Additionally, scientists are working on a super-tough material, thicker than bulletproof glass that would be attached on to the sides of armored vehicles adding an extra measure of protection. It seems like Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak is not imaginary anymore!