Japanese researchers develop optical camouflage and explore mind-uploading technology
Scientists at the University of Tokyo have created a retroreflective cloak that renders the wearer nearly invisible and are also investigating ways to transfer human consciousness to machines.
At the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, professor Masahiko Inami demonstrated a cloak made of retroreflective material that, when paired with a projector, displays the scene behind the wearer, achieving a form of optical camouflage reminiscent of "thermoptic" technology in cyberpunk fiction. He further created Jizai Arms, a set of wearable robotic appendages that can be controlled as extensions of the body, intended to study how people might interact in a future cyborg society.
In a separate effort, associate professor Masataka Watanabe of the Graduate School of Engineering is pursuing a brain-machine interface that could link a machine to a human brain, with the long-term goal of uploading consciousness for digital immortality. Watanabe outlines a staged plan: first proving machine consciousness within ten years, then achieving full mind uploading over the following decade, budgeting roughly 30 billion yen. Both projects aim to turn concepts from the "Ghost in the Shell" franchise into practical technology.
