How many of you agree that this optical camouflage projection prototype will save U.S troops in Iraq?

Question

Here is a link and information from the website

http://projects.star.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/projects/MEDIA/xv/oc.html

What is Optical Camouflage?
Optical camouflage is a kind of active camouflage.
This idea is very simple. If you project background image onto the masked object, you can observe the masked object just as if it were virtually transparent.
This shows the principle of the optical camouflage using X'tal Vision. You can select camouflaged object to cover with retroreflector. Moreover, to project a stereoscopic image, the observer looks at the masking object more transparent.
Optical camouflage can be applied for a real scene. In the case of a real scene, a photograph of the scene is taken from the operatorfs viewpoint, and this photograph is projected to exactly the same place as the original. Actually, applying HMP-based optical camouflage to a real scene requires image-based rendering techniques.

The drawback is that when you move to another angle, it fails.

Answer 1

I agree, Vote for me.

Answer 2

So it only works in conjunction with a projector? And if you move/view it from anything other than the specified angle, it doesn't work? Great! All we need now is to move the projector all over the place, and of course for the enemy to come from the proper angle (I'm sure they'll be accomodating in that regard), and we're all set.

I'm just trying to say that the technology shown is a long, long way from being something practical and effective. That being said, it looks like one of those baby steps science has to take on the way to something really cool.

Answer 3

The US Military is a big fat political machine, it will take years to see anything valuable put into service. The camouflage is wonderful, but will take the military at least 10+ years before it gets approved for service.

However, I'm pretty sure, that there are special operations that might already be using advanced camouflage systems. I would hate to have the US Military after me, that's for sure.

Answer 4

In order to make this work, you need a projector, right? So what camouflage's the projector? Seems like there's a little bit of a chicken and the egg problem here.

Answer 5

Oh hell yeah, especially if they can fix that issue where different angles make it fail, but still, suddenly WE'RE the ones setting the ambushes, and we could be standing on the side of the road and they wouldn't see us.

Answer 6

its worth a shot. anything would help our heros now. i support them, their cause, and the battle for freedom and they deserve every possible help we can give them.