Technical Seminar Report

On

SPACE SHUTTLES AND IT’S ADVANCEMENTS

Submitted to

GEETHANJALI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(Autonomous)

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

IN

ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

Submitted By

P. VAISHNAVI - 19R11A0433

Under the Guidance of

Dr. B. L. Prakash
Professor, ECE

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering

GEETHANJALI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(Autonomous)

(Accredited by NBA, Approved by AICTE, New Delhi, and Affiliated to JNTUH)

Cheeryal (V), Keesara (M), Medchal District-501301, Telangana State.

2018-2022
 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING

GEETHANJALI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

(Accredited by NBA, Approved by AICTE, New Delhi, and Affiliated to JNTUH)

Cheeryal (V), Keesara (M), Medchal District-501301, Telangana State.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this report entitled ‘SPACE SHUTTLES AND IT’S
ADVANCEMENTS’, is the report of a technical seminar presented by
P.VAISHNAVI, 19R11A0433 during 2022 - 2023 in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and
Communication Engineering.

Dr. B. L. Prakash
Supervisor

Dr. G. Aparna Dr. A. Khadar Baba

Assistant Professor Head of the department, ECE
Co-Ordinator
 DECLARATION

I, P. Vaishnavi hereby declare that this Technical Seminar Report entitled “Space
Shuttles and Its Advancements” is a bonafide work of mine. I declare that, to the best of
my knowledge, the work reported herein does not form part of any other project/seminar
report or dissertation on the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier
occasion to any other candidate. The content of this report is not being presented by any other
student to this or any other University for the award of a degree.

P. Vaishnavi

19R11A0433
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I, a student of the Department of ECE, Geethanjali College of Engineering and

Technology, would like to convey heartfelt thanks to Dr. S. Udaya Kumar, Principal,
Geethanjali College of Engineering & Technology for the encouragement all through.

I am highly grateful to Dr. A. Khadar Baba, Head of the Department of Electronics

and Communication Engineering of GCET for the continuous guidance and extended
support.

I am thankful to my supervisor Dr. B. L. Prakash, Professor, ECE, for his guidance in

completing technical work successfully.

With Regards
 ABSTRACT

The successful exploration of space requires a system that will reliably transport
payloads into space and return to the Earth; without subjecting them to an uncomfortable
or hazardous environment. In other words, the space crafts and their payloads must be
safely recovered on Earth. The space shuttle used in older times was not reusable. So
NASA invented a reusable space shuttle that could launch like a rocket but deliver and
land like an airplane. Now NASA is planning to launch a series of air-breathing planes that
would replace the space shuttle.
The space shuttle, also called Space Transportation System, partially reusable rocket-
launched vehicle designed to go into orbit around Earth, to transport people and cargo to
and from orbiting spacecraft, and glide to a runway landing on its return to Earth’s surface
that was developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The space shuttle used in older times was not reusable. So NASA invented a reusable
space shuttle that could launch like a rocket but deliver and land like an Aeroplane.
The Shuttle is the only winged crewed spacecraft to have achieved orbit and landing,
and the first reusable crewed space vehicle that made multiple flights into orbit. Its
missions involved carrying large payloads to various orbits including the International
Space Station (ISS), providing crew rotation for the space station, and performing service
missions on the Hubble Space Telescope. The orbiter also recovered satellites and other
payloads (e.g., from the ISS) from orbit and returned them to Earth, though its use in this
capacity was rare. Each vehicle was designed with a projected lifespan of 100 launches or
10 years of operational life. Original selling points on the shuttles were over 150 launches
over a 15-year operational span with a 'launch per month' expected at the peak of the
program, but extensive delays in the development of the International Space Station never
created such a peak demand for frequent flights.

i
ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic Page no
List of Figures iii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Optical camouflage-an Overview 2
CHAPTER 2: TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
3
CHAPTER 3: AUGMENTED REALITY
4
CHAPTER 4: DESIGN
4.1 Description 7
4.2 Working 8
8
4.3 Flow Chart

CHAPTER 5: RETROREFLECTIVITY
5.1 Retro Reflectors on Road 14
5.2 Retro Reflectors used in motorcycle safety 14

5.3 Retro Reflectors and Invincibility

5.4 Retro Reflectors and Communication 15

15
CHAPTER 6: VIDEO ACAMERA AND PROJECTOR

6.1 Video Camera

1
6.2 Projector 6

16
CHAPTER 7: COMPUTER AND COMBINER

7.1 Computer

7.2 Combiner 18

CHAPTER 8: HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY

18
CHAPTER 9: APPLICATIONS

CHAPTER 10: DISADVANTAGES 19

ii
CHAPTER 11: FUTURE SCOPE

CHAPTER 12: CONCLUSION 21

24

25

26

REFERENCES 27

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure no. Figure name Page no.

FIGURE 3.1 Display of GPS 4

FIGURE 3.2 Relation of Different Environment 5

FIGURE 3.3 Monitor Based Augmented Reality 5

FIGURE 3.4 Components of Augmented Reality 6

FIGURE 4.1 Block Diagram 7

10
FIGURE 4.2 Complete System

FIGURE 5.1 Surface Reflectivity 12

FIGURE 5.2 Retro Reflective Material 13

FIGURE 8.1 Head Mounted Display 19

iii
FIGURE 9.1 Mutual Tel existence 21

FIGURE 11.1 Adaptive Camouflage 25

FIGURE 12.1 Combat Aircraft 26

iiii
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER – 1
INTRODUCTION

Invisibility has been on humanity's wish list at least since Amon-Ra, a deity who
could disappear and reappear at will, joined the Egyptian pantheon in 2008 BC. With recent
advances in optics and computing and with the advent of flexible electronics such as a
flexible liquid crystal display, that would allow the background image to be displayed on the
material itself, however, this elusive goal is no longer purely imaginary. In 2003, three
professors at University of Tokyo-Susumu Tachi, Masahiko Inami and Naoki Kawakami
created a prototypical camouflage system in which a video camera takes a shot of the
background and displays it on the cloth using an external projector. They can even reflect
images when the material is wrinkled. The same year Time magazine named it the coolest
invention of 2003. It is an interesting application of optical camouflage and is called the
Invisibility Cloak. Through the clever application of some dirt-cheap technology, the
Japanese inventor has brought personal invisibility a step closer to reality. Their prototype
uses an external camera placed behind the cloaked object to record a scene, which it then
transmits to a computer for image processing. The key development of the cloak, however,
was the development of a new material called retro reflectum. Professor Tachi says that this
material allows you to see a three-dimensional image. The computer feeds the image into an
external projector which projects the image onto a person wearing a special retro reflective
coat. This can lead to different results depending on the quality of the camera, the projector,
and the coat, but by the late nineties, convincing illusions were created. That was only one
invention created in this field and researches are still being carried out in order to implement
it using nanotechnology.

1
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

1.1 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE – AN OVERVIEW

Optical camouflage is a kind of active camouflage which completely envelopes the

wearer. It displays an image of the scene on the side opposite the viewer on it, so that the
viewer can "see through" the wearer, rendering the wearer invisible. The idea is relatively
straightforward: to create the illusion of invisibility by covering an object with something that
projects the scene directly behind that object. If you project background image onto the
masked object, you can observe the masked object just as if it were virtually 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’s 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.
As for camouflage, it means to blend with the surroundings. Camouflage is the
method which allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain indiscernible from
the surrounding environment. Examples include a tiger's stripes and the battledress of a
modern soldier. Camouflage is a form of deception. The word camouflage comes from the
French word 'camoufler' meaning 'to disguise'. The camouflage technique of disguise is not as
common as coloration, but can be found throughout nature as well. Animals may disguise
themselves as something uninteresting in the hopes that their predators will ignore them or as
something dangerous so that predators will avoid them. And so had humans the desire to
disguise themselves just as some animals could do. 19th century armies tended to use bright
colors and bold, impressive designs. These were intended to daunt the enemy, attract recruits,
foster unit cohesion, or allow easier identification of units in the fog of war. The transfer of
camouflage patterns from battle to exclusively civilian uses is a recent phenomenon. The
concept of camouflage - to conceal and distort shapes - is also a popular artistic tool.

2
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER -2
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Although optical is a term that technically refers to all forms of light, most proposed
forms of optical camouflage would only provide invisibility in the visible portion of the
spectrum. Optics (appearance or look in ancient Greek) is a branch of physics that describes
the behavior and properties of light and the interaction of light with matter. Optics explains
optical phenomena. The pure science aspects of the field are often called optical science or
optical physics. This technology is currently only in a very primitive stage of development.
Creating complete optical camouflage across the visible light spectrum would require a
coating or suit covered in tiny cameras and projectors, programmed to gather visual data from
a multitude of different angles and project the gathered images outwards in an equally large
number of different directions to give the illusion of invisibility from all angles.
For a surface subject to bending like a flexible suit, a massive amount of computing
power and embedded sensors would be necessary to continuously project the correct images
in all directions. More sophisticated machinery would be necessary to create perfect illusions
in other electromagnetic bands, such as the infrared band. Sophisticated target-tracking
software could ensure that the majority of computing power is focused on projecting false
images in those directions where observers are most likely to be present, creating the most
realistic illusion possible. This would likely require Phase Array Optics, which would project
light of a specific amplitude and phase and therefore provide even greater levels of
invisibility. We may end up finding optical camouflage to be most useful in the environment
of space, where any given background is generally less complex than earthly backdrops and
therefore easier to record, process, and project.

3
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER – 3
AUGMENTED REALITY

Optical camouflage doesn't work by way of magic. It works by taking advantage of

something called augmented-reality technology -- a type of technology that was first
pioneered in the 1960s by Ivan Sutherland and his students at Harvard University and the
University of Utah. Augmented reality (AR) is a field of computer research which deals with
the combination of real world and computer-generated data.

Fig 3.1 Display of GPS (which is an augmented reality system)

The above is an example of how it looks like when viewed through the display of augmented
reality system.
At present, most AR research is concerned with the use of live video imagery which is
digitally processed and "augmented" by the addition of computer-generated graphics.
Advanced research includes the use of motion tracking data, fiducial marker recognition
using machine vision, and the construction of controlled environments containing any
number of sensors and actuators.

4
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

Fig 3.2 Relation of different environments

The real world and a totally virtual environment are at the two ends of this continuum
with the middle region called Mixed Reality. Augmented reality lies near the real-world end
of the line with the predominate perception being the real world augmented by computer
generated data. Augmented virtuality is a term created by Milgram (Milgram and Kishino
1994; Milgram, Takemura et al. 1994) to identify systems which are mostly synthetic with
some real-world imagery added such as texture mapping video onto virtual objects. This is a
distinction that will fade as the technology improves and the virtual elements in the scene
become less distinguishable from the real ones.

Fig 3.3 Monitor Based Augmented Reality

Most augmented-reality systems require that users look through a special viewing
apparatus to see a real-world scene enhanced with synthesized graphics. They also require a
powerful computer. In augmented reality, the scene is viewed by an imaging device, which in
this case is depicted as a video camera. The camera performs a perspective projection of the
3D world onto a 2D image plane. The intrinsic (focal length and lens distortion) and extrinsic
(position and pose) parameters of the device determine exactly what is projected onto its
image plane. The generation of the virtual image is done with a standard computer graphics
system. The virtual objects are modeled in an object reference frame. The graphics system

5
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

requires information about the imaging of the real scene so that it can correctly render these
objects. This data will control the synthetic camera that is used to generate the image of the
virtual objects. This image is then merged with the image of the real scene to form the
augmented reality image.

Fig 3.4 Components of an Augmented Reality System

6
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER – 4
DESIGN

Fig 4.1 Block Diagram

4.1 DESCRIPTION

Optical camouflage works by taking advantage of something called augmented reality

technology -- a type of technology that was first pioneered in the 1960s by Ivan Sutherland
and his students at Harvard University and the University of Utah. Augmented-reality
systems add computer-generated information to a user's sensory perceptions. Imagine, for
example, that you're walking down a city street. As you gaze at sites along the way,
additional information appears to enhance and enrich your normal view. Perhaps it's the day's
specials at a restaurant or the show times at a theater or the bus schedule at the station. What's
critical to understand here is that augmented reality is not the same as virtual reality. While
virtual reality aims to replace the world, augmented reality merely tries to supplement it with
additional, helpful content.
Most augmented-reality systems require that users look through a special viewing
apparatus to see a real-world scene enhanced with synthesized graphics. They also require a
powerful computer.
7
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

Optical camouflage requires these things, as well, but it also requires several other
components. Here's everything needed to make a person appear invisible:
 A garment made from highly reflective material
 A video camera
 A computer
 A projector
 A special, half-silvered mirror called a combiner

4.2 WORKING

For using optical camouflage, the following steps are to be followed:

1. The person who wants to be invisible (let's call her Person A) dons a that resembles
a hooded raincoat. The garment is made of a special material that we'll examine more
closely in a moment.
2. An observer (Person B) stands before Person ‘A’ at a specific location. At that
location, instead of seeing Person ‘A’ wearing a hooded raincoat, Person B sees right
through the cloak, making Person A appear to be invisible.

8
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

4.3 FLOWCHART
Sequence of events once a person puts on the cloak with the retro-reflective material:

The person wearing the cloak appears invisible because the background scene is being
displayed onto the retro-reflective material. At the same time, light rays from the rest of the

9
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

world are allowed reach the user's eye, making it seems as if an invisible person exists in an
otherwise normal-looking world.

Fig 4.2 the complete system of an Invisibility Cloak

10
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER- 5
RETROREFLECTIVITY

The cloak that enables optical camouflage to work is made from a special material
known as retro-reflective material. A retro-reflective material is covered with thousands and
thousands of small beads. When light strikes one of these beads, the light rays bounce back
exactly in the same direction from which they came.
To understand why this is unique, look at how light reflects off of other types of
surfaces. A rough surface creates a diffused reflection because the incident (incoming) light
rays get scattered in many different directions. A perfectly smooth surface, like that of a
mirror, creates what is known as a specular reflection -- a reflection in which incident light
rays and reflected light rays form the exact same angle with the mirror surface. In retro-
reflection, the glass beads act like prisms, bending the light rays by a process known as
refraction. This causes the reflected light rays to travel back along the same path as the
incident light rays. The result: An observer situated at the light source receives more of the
reflected light and therefore sees a brighter reflection.
Retro-reflective materials are actually quite common. Traffic signs, road markers and
bicycle reflectors all take advantage of retro-reflection to be more visible to people driving at
night. Movie screens used in most modern commercial theaters also take advantage of this
material because it allows for high brilliance under dark conditions.
A retro reflector is a device that sends light or other radiation back where it came
from regardless of the angle of incidence, unlike a mirror, which does that only if the mirror
is exactly perpendicular to the light beam. Retro reflectors are clearly visible in a pair of
bicycle shoes. Light source is a flash a few centimeters above camera lens.

11
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

Fig 5.1 Surface Reflectivity (of various kinds of surfaces)

This effect can be commonly obtained in two ways:
1. With reflecting and refracting optical elements arranged so that the focal surface of
the refractive element coincides with the reflective surface, typically a transparent
sphere and a spherical mirror - this same effect may be achieved with a single
transparent sphere provided that the refractive index of the material is exactly 2 times
the refractive index of the medium from which the radiation is incident. In that case,
the sphere surface behaves as a concave spherical mirror with the required curvature
for retro reflection. This is conventionally known as a cat's eye retro reflector in either
configuration.
2. With a set of three mutually perpendicular mirrors which form a corner (a corner
reflector or corner cube).

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 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

Fig 5.2 Reflectivity of a retro reflective material

Corner retro reflectors occur in two varieties. In the more common form, the corner is
literally the truncated corner of a cube of transparent material such as conventional optical
glass. In this structure, the reflection is achieved either by total internal reflection or silvering
of the outer cube surfaces. The second form uses mutually perpendicular flat mirrors
bracketing an air space. These two types have similar optical properties.
A retro reflector may consist of many very small versions of these structures
incorporated in a thin sheet or in paint. In the case of paint containing glass beads, the paint
glues the beads to the surface where retro reflection is required, and the beads protrude, their
diameter being about twice the thickness of the paint.
The term cat's eye derives from the resemblance of the cat's eye retro reflector to the
optical system that produces the well-known phenomenon of "glowing eyes" in cats and
many other vertebrates (which are of course only reflecting light, rather than actually
glowing). The combination of the eye's lens and the aqueous humor form the refractive
converging system, while the tapetum lucidum behind the retina forms the spherical concave
mirror. Because the function of the eye is to form an image on the retina, an eye focused on a
distant object has a focal surface that approximately follows the reflective tapetum lucidum
structure, which is the condition required to form a good retro reflection.
A third, much less common way of producing a retro reflector is to use the nonlinear
optical phenomenon of phase conjugation. This technique is used in advanced optical systems
such as high-power lasers and optical transmission lines. Phase conjugate mirrors require a
comparatively expensive and complex apparatus, as well as large quantities of power (as
nonlinear optical processes are generally not very efficient). However, they have an
inherently much greater accuracy in the direction of the retro reflection, which in passive
elements is limited by the mechanical accuracy of the construction.

13
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

5.1 RETRO REFLECTORS ON ROAD

Retro reflection (sometimes called retroflection) is used on road surfaces, road signs,
vehicles and clothing (large parts of the surface of special safety clothing, less on regular
coats). When the headlights of a car illuminate a retro reflective surface, the reflected light is
directed towards the car and its driver, and not wasted by going in all directions as with
diffuse reflection. However, a pedestrian can see a retro reflective surface in the dark only if
there is a light source directly between them and the reflector, e.g. a torch they carry, or
directly behind them, e.g. a car approaching from behind. "Cat's eyes" are a particular type of
retro reflector embedded in the road surface.
Corner reflectors are better at sending the light back to the source over long distances,
while spheres are better at sending the light to a receiver somewhat off-axis from the source,
as when the light from headlights is reflected into the driver's eyes.
Retro reflectors can be embedded in the road leveled with or can be raised above the
road surface. Raised reflectors are visible for a very long distance (typically 0.5-1 kilometer
or more), while sunken reflectors are only visible at very close range due to the higher angle
required to properly reflect the light. Raised reflectors are not generally used in areas that
regularly experience snow during winter, as passing snowplows will tear them off the
roadway. The stress on the roadway caused by cars running over any embedded objects also
contributes to accelerated wear and pothole formation.
Retro reflective road paint is thus very popular in Canada and increasingly the northern
parts of the United States, as it is not affected by the passage of snowplows and does not
affect the interior of the roadway. Where weather permits, embedded retro reflectors are
preferred as they last much longer than road paint, which is weathered by the elements and
ground away by the passage of vehicles.

5.2 RETRO REFLECTORS USED IN MOTORCYCLE SAFETY

Conspicuity or visibility as outlined by The Motorcycle Safety Foundation greatly

increases a motorcyclist's chances of being seen by motorists at night. Placing retro reflective
patches on clothing and helmets greatly increases the visibility of bikers and pedestrians to
oncoming motorists.
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 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

Many materials appear to have some small degree of reflectivity, but retro
reflective materials bounce the greatest amount of light back toward a light source. This
makes them startlingly visible in dark conditions. Some patches claim to be reflective, but
only retro reflective materials can be seen from more than a few feet away at night. Retro
reflectivity is measured in candle power. Official data says that white clothing performs up
to 0.3 candle power. A vehicle license plate comes in at a level of 50. A conforming retro-
reflective material has 500 candle powers! There is a direct relationship between reflective
index (candle power), and the distance from which it can be seen.

5.3. RETROREFLECTORS AND INVISIBILITY

Retro reflective clothing, combined with a properly set up camera and

projector, can be used to achieve the effect of partial invisibility when viewed from a one
direction.

5.4 RETROREFLECTORS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Modulated retro reflectors, in which the reflectance is changed over time by

some means, are the subject of research and development for free-space optical
communications networks. The basic concept with such systems is that a low-power remote
system, such as a sensor mote, can receive an optical signal from a base station and reflect
the modulated signal back to the base station. Since the base station supplies the optical
power, this allows the remote system to communicate without excessive power
consumption. Modulated retro reflectors also exist in the form of modulated phase-
conjugate mirrors (PCMs). In the latter case, a "time-reversed" wave is generated by the
PCM, with temporal encoding of the phase-conjugate wave.
Cheap plastic corner retro reflectors are using as an aiming device in user-controlled
technology optical data link device Ronja. The aiming is done in night and the necessary
retro reflector area depends on aiming distance and ambient lighting from street lamps. The
optical receiver itself behaves as a weak retro reflector, because contains a large precisely
focused lens and shiny object in the focal plane. This allows aiming without a retro reflector
for short range.

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 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER – 6
VIDEO CAMERA AND PROJECTOR

6.1 VIDEO CAMERA

Professional video camera (often called a Television camera even though the use has
spread) is a high-end device for recording electronic moving images (as opposed to a movie
camera that records the images on film). Originally developed for use in television studios,
they are now commonly used for corporate and educational videos, music videos, direct-to-
video movies, etc. Less advanced video cameras used by consumers are often referred to as
camcorders.
There are two types of professional video cameras: High end portable, recording
cameras (which are, confusingly, called camcorders too) used for ENG image acquisition,
and studio cameras which lack the recording capability of a camcorder, and are often fixed on
studio pedestals. It is common for professional cameras to split the incoming light into the
three primary colors that humans are able to see, feeding each color into a separate pickup
tube (in older cameras) or charge-coupled device (CCD). Some high-end consumer cameras
also do this, producing a higher-quality image than is normally possible with just a single
video pickup.
The retro-reflective garment doesn't actually make a person invisible -- in fact, it's
perfectly opaque. What the garment does is create an illusion of invisibility by acting like a
movie screen onto which an image from the background is projected. Capturing the
background image requires a video camera, which sits behind the person wearing the cloak.
The video from the camera must be in a digital format so it can be sent to a computer for
processing.

6.2 PROJECTOR

The modified image produced by the computer must be shone onto the garment,
which acts like a movie screen. A projector accomplishes this task by shining a light beam
through an opening controlled by a device called an iris diaphragm. An iris diaphragm is
made of thin, opaque plates, and turning a ring changes the diameter of the central opening.
For optical camouflage to work properly, this opening must be the size of a pinhole. Why?
This ensures a larger depth of field so that the screen (in this case the cloak) can be located
16
 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

any distance from the projector.

In optics, a diaphragm is a thin opaque structure with an opening (aperture) at its
centre. The role of the diaphragm is to stop the passage of light, except for the light passing
through the aperture. Thus, it is also called a stop (an aperture stop, if it limits the brightness
of light reacting the focal plane, or a field stop or flare stop for other uses of diaphragms in
lenses). The diaphragm is placed in the light path of a lens or objective, and the size of the
aperture regulates the amount of light that passes through the lens. The center of the
diaphragm's aperture coincides with the optical axis of the lens system.
Most modern cameras use a type of adjustable diaphragm known as an iris diaphragm, and
often referred to simply as an iris.
The number of blades in an iris diaphragm has a direct relation with the appearance of
the blurred out-of-focus areas in an image, also called Bokeh. The more blades a diaphragm
has, the rounder and less polygon-shaped the opening will be. This results in softer and more
gradually blurred out-of-focus areas.

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 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER - 7
COMPUTER AND COMBINER

7.1 COMPUTER

A computer is a machine for manipulating data according to a list of instructions. All

augmented-reality systems rely on powerful computers to synthesize graphics and then
superimpose them on a real-world image. For optical camouflage to work, the
hardware/software combo must take the captured image from the video camera, calculate the
appropriate perspective to simulate reality and transform the captured image into the image
that will be projected onto the retro-reflective material.
Image-based rendering techniques are used. Actually, applying HMP-based optical
camouflage to a real scene requires image-based rendering techniques.

7.2 COMBINER

The system requires a special mirror to both reflect the projected image toward the
cloak and to let light rays bouncing off the cloak return to the user's eye. This special mirror
is called a beam splitter, or a combiner -- a half-silvered mirror that both reflects light (the
silvered half) and transmits light (the transparent half). If properly positioned in front of the
user's eye, the combiner allows the user to perceive both the image enhanced by the computer
and light from the surrounding world. This is critical because the computer-generated image
and the real-world scene must be fully integrated for the illusion of invisibility to seem
realistic. The user has to look through a peephole in this mirror to see the augmented reality.

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 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

CHAPTER – 8
HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY

Of course, making the observer stand behind a stationary combiner is not very
pragmatic -- no augmented-reality system would be of much practical use if the user had to
stand in a fixed location. That's why most systems require that the user carry the computer on
his or her person, either in a backpack or clipped on the hip. It's also why most systems take
advantage of head-mounted displays, or HMDs, which assemble the combiner and optics in a
wearable device.

Fig 8.1 A head mounted display

A head-mounted display (HMD) is a display device that a person wears on the head
to have video information directly displayed in front of the eyes.
Short for head-mounted display, a headset used with virtual reality systems. An HMD
can be a pair of goggles or a full helmet. In front of each eye is a tiny monitor. Because there
are two monitors, images appear as three-dimensional. In addition, most HMDs include a
head tracker so that the system can respond to head movements. For example, if you move
your head left, the images in the monitors will change to make it seem as if you're actually
looking at a different part of the virtual reality.

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 OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE

An HMD has either one or two small CRT, LCD, LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon),
or OLED displays with magnifying lenses embedded in a helmet, glasses or visor. With two
displays, the technology can be used to show stereoscopic images by displaying an offset
image to each eye. Lenses are used to give the perception that the images are coming from a
greater distance, to prevent eye strain. One company, Sensics, makes an HMD with 24 OLED
displays, with the lenses designed to combine 12 displays into a seamless image for each eye.
Head-mounted displays may also be coupled with head-movement tracking devices to allow
the user to "look around" a virtual reality environment naturally by moving the head without
the need for a separate controller. Performing this update quickly enough to make the
experience immersive requires a great amount of computer image processing. If six axis
position sensing (direction and position) is used then the wearer may physically move about
and have their movement translated into movement in the virtual environment.
Some head-mounted or wearable glasses may be also be used to view a see-through
image imposed upon a real-world view, creating what is called augmented reality. This is
done by reflecting the video images through partially reflective mirrors. The real-world view
is seen through the mirrors' reflective surface. Experimental systems have been used for
gaming, where virtual opponents may peek from real windows as a player moves about. This
type of system has applications in the maintenance of complex systems, as it can give a
technician what is effectively "x-ray vision" by combining computer graphics rendering of
hidden elements with the technician's natural vision. Additionally, technical data and
schematic diagrams may be delivered to this same equipment, eliminating the need to obtain
and carry bulky paper documents.
Military, police and firefighters use HMDs to display relevant tactical information
such as maps or thermal imaging data. Engineers and scientists use HMDs to provide
stereoscopic views of CAD schematics, simulations or remote sensing applications. And
owing to advancements in computer graphics and the continuing miniaturization of video
displays and other equipment, consumer HMD devices are also available for use with 3d
games and entertainment.

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CHAPTER – 9
APPLICATIONS

While an invisibility cloak is an interesting application of optical camouflage, there

are also some other practical ways the technology might be applied:

1. AUGMENTED STEREOSCOPIC VISION IN SURGERY:

It allows the combination of radiographic data (CAT scans and MRI imaging) with
the surgeon's vision. Doctors performing surgery could use optical camouflage to see
through their hands and instruments to the underlying tissue, thereby making the
complicated surgeries a bit better. Surgeons may not need to make large incisions if they
wear gloves that project what's on the inside of a patient using a CAT scan or MRI data.

2. COCKPIT FLOORS:
Pilots landing a plane could use this technology to make cockpit floors transparent
with micro reflectors. This would enable them to see the runway and the landing gear simply
by glancing down. Hard landings would be a thing of the past if pilots could gauge how far
they are above the ground just by looking at an image of the outside terrain projected on the
floor. This allows them to avoid many obstacles on the path below and be aware of the floor
below them thereby creating a complete awareness.

3. TRANSPARENT REAR HATCH:

Drivers backing up cars could benefit one day from optical camouflage. A quick
glance backward through a transparent rear hatch or tailgate would make it easy to know
when to stop.

4. WINDOWLESS ROOMS:
Providing a view of the outside in windowless rooms is one of the more fanciful
applications of the technology, but one that might improve the psychological well-being of
people in such environments.

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5. STEALTH TECHNOLOGY:
Stealth means ‘low observable’. The very basic idea of Stealth Technology in the
military is to ‘blend’ in with the background. The applications of stealth technology are
mainly military oriented.
Stealth Technology is used in the construction of mobile military systems such as
aircrafts and ships to significantly reduce their detection by enemy, primarily by an enemy
RADAR. The way most airplane identification works is by constantly bombarding airspace
with a RADAR signal. When a plane flies into the path of the RADAR, a signal bounces
back to a sensor that determines the size and location of the plane. Other methods focus on
measuring acoustic (sound) disturbances, visual contact, and infrared signatures. The
Stealth technology works by reducing or eliminating these telltale signals. Panels on planes
are angled so that radar is scattered, so no signal returns.
The idea is for the radar antenna to send out a burst of radio energy, which is then
reflected back by any object it happens to encounter. The radar antenna measures the time it
takes for the reflection to arrive, and with that information can tell how far away the object
is. The metal body of an airplane is very good at reflecting radar signals, and this makes it
easy to find and track airplanes with radar equipment.
The goal of stealth technology is to make an airplane invisible to radar. There are two
different ways to create invisibility: • The airplane can be shaped so that any radar signals it
reflects are reflected away from the radar equipment. • The airplane can be covered in
materials that absorb radar signals.

6. MUTUAL TELEXISTENCE:
` One of the most promising applications of this technology, however, has less to do
with making objects invisible and more about making them visible. The concept is called
mutual tele-existence - working and perceiving with the feeling that you are in several
places at once. Real-time video of two or more distance separated individuals is projected
onto surrogate robotic participants via sophisticated communication technology.

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Fig 9.1 Telexistence

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CHAPTER – 10
DISADVANTAGES

• Large amount of external hardware required

For the invisibility cloak to work properly, we need a number of components such
as a video camera (which sits behind the person wearing the cloak and captures the
background image.), a computer (which takes the captured image from the video camera,
calculate the appropriate perspective to simulate reality and transform the captured image
into the image that will be projected onto the retro-reflective material), a projector
(which takes the modified image produced by the computer and shines it onto the
garment, which acts like a movie screen), an iris diaphragm (The projector sends the
light through the iris diaphragm, which is actually a small opening), a combiner (a
special mirror to both reflect the projected image toward the cloak and to let light rays
bouncing off the cloak return to the user's eye), and most importantly a retro reflective
cloak (which has special reflecting properties) to cover the object which needs to be
made invisible.

• The illusion is only convincing when viewed from a certain angle

The Invisibility cloak that we have in hand at present appears to be invisible only
from one point of view. But a real invisibility cloak, if it's going to dupe anyone who
might see it, needs to represent the scene behind its wearer accurately from any angle.
Moreover, since any number of people might be looking through it at any given moment,
it has to reproduce the background from all angles at once. That is, it has to project a
separate image of its surroundings for every possible perspective.

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CHAPTER – 11
FUTURE SCOPE

There are many technology gaps that are to be bridged in order to reach true
invisibility. Our eyes are only the raw photo sensors that deliver basic electrochemical signals
to our brain, which then processes these low-level cues into higher cognition notions. Thus, it
might be possible to think of invisibility at the human brain level. This is called cognitive
blindness which could be individually selective compared with real world, physics based
absolute invisibility. We see using the persistence of vision property. Light is first
accumulated in retinal photo sensors (cones and rods) before propagating the impulses into
electrochemical reactions. Thus, we average light, and this causes various scene aliasing
effects. Thus vibration and light averaging might also be a future direction for finding other
invisibility tricks. Adaptive camouflage technology could one day allow soldiers to take a
picture of their surroundings and digitally transfer the image using a handheld computer to
the surface of their clothing.

Fig 11.1 Adaptive Camouflage

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CHAPTER – 12
CONCLUSION

This amazing technology creates objects or human beings invisible or transparent.

Though it has some limitations, it won't be for long as scientists continue to push the
boundaries of the technology. One of the most promising applications of this technology,
however, has less to do with making objects invisible and more about making them visible.
This concept is called Mutual Telexistence: working and perceiving with the feeling that you
are in several places at once. Pervasive gaming is another application where players with
mobile displays move through the world while sensors capture information about their
environment, including their location. This information is used to deliver users a gaming
experience that changes according to where they are and what they are doing.

Fig 12.1 An insight into the future - a future combat aircraft with both stealth and active
camouflage technology.

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REFERENCES

1. S. Tachi, Telexistence and Retro-reflective Projection Technology (RPT),

Proceedings of the 5th Virtual Reality International Conference (VRIC2003)
pp.69/1-69/9, Laval Virtual 2003, France, May 13- 18, 2003.

2. M. Inami, N. Kawakami, Y. Yanagida, T. Maeda and S. Tachi, Method and

Device for Providing Information, US PAT. 6,341,869, 2002.

3. N. Kawakami, M. Inami, D. Sekiguchi, Y. Yanagida, T. Maeda and S. Tachi,

"Object-Oriented Displays: A New Type of Display Systems -From immersive
display to Object-Oriented Displays-", IEEE International Conference on
Systems, Man, and Cybernetics '99 Abstracts, p.493, 1999.

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