The ultimate in camouflage for military purposes would be complete invisibility. Invisibility has been a major factor in fiction going back to ancient Greek mythologies to contemporary science fiction. While we are far away from space ships capable of intergalactic travel like Stargate Atlantis, a clocking device may be closer than you think.

Metamaterials refract light at a negative angle, rather than refracting light like normal materials that can be seen. The properties of metamaterials allow scientists to bend light around objects making them invisible to the naked eye. DailyTech reported on similar technology before when researchers at the University of Maryland were able to cloak a small 10 micrometer circle making it invisible to the eye.

While 10 micrometers is incredibly small, the scientists hope to one day scale the size of the cloak to hide people and objects. This is exactly what researchers at the Britannia Royal Navy College hope to do, but on a much grander scale. The scientist are developing a method to render full battleships invisible to not only the naked eye, but to radar as well. The researchers also hope to mask the sound produced by the ships as well as its heat signature.

If the scientists are able to accomplish the goal, it would mean the British Navy would have battleships invisible to the naked eye, radar, heat-seeking missiles and that produce no noise. If successful, the only indication that the ship is coming would be the water displaced by the ship.