The Darker Side of Black - Vantablack

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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I saw this come across Twitter this morning, and it was just one of those things that had a really big cool factor in terms of technology and I wanted to share. At first you will think that someone got bit crazy with Photoshop and this photo, but what you see in the picture is actually a sphere that has been painted with a substance called Vantablack. A quick Google image search will bring up all sorts of cool images as well.

To enhance the flexibility of applying super-black coatings, Surrey NanoSystems has developed a spray-on version called Vantablack S-VIS with a reflectance of typically 0.2% in the visible spectrum (@700nm). This allows super-black coatings to be applied to almost any stable material surface - such as polymers - as well as to large and complex shapes (objects just need to be able to fit into a spray painting booth). The application process is much more flexible than original Vantablack, which is applied in a vacuum chamber using low temperature chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

And a shout out to Texas Hippie Coalition for the news tag line.
 
That is such a bizarre thing to see something 3 dimensional that you are convinced is 2D. Just really screws with the eyes trying to figure out that yes something is in fact there.
 
OK, that is cool. Well, until we get it onto clothing that people can wear at night... I know I would want some, and so would a lot of militaries.
 
Unfortunately, AFAIK, Anish Kapoor is only person who can use the paint. I'm not sure how long his exclusive rights last.
 
Armenius said:
I'd love to see that painted on a car.

Just noticed that you can see a little light being reflected along the bottom edge of the sphere.
Click to expand...

That would be insanely cool. Especially if the rest of the car wasn't done with this. (trim, wheels, lights obviously, etc.)
 
My friends used to laugh at me when I suggested "light soaking emitter" of some kind. This is not even remotely the same thing but I like it. Our brains aren't used to this type of thing :D
 
Now for the fun info: that substance gets its lack of reflectiveness through nanoparticles.

That filter mask does nothing for that guy. No filter system we have is capable of filtering out such small particles.
 
dgingeri said:
Now for the fun info: that substance gets its lack of reflectiveness through nanoparticles.

That filter mask does nothing for that guy. No filter system we have is capable of filtering out such small particles.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's to keep HIS particles off the product. :D
 
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Am I the only one thinking stuff like this will mess with computer visual recognition algorithms?
Possible use messing with facial recognition, self driving cars, etc.
 
Ididar said:
No, you don't want that at night to be stealthy. You'll stand out too much. You'll be the only thing around that doesn't reflect light. The ball looks so odd in that photo because it is doing something that our eyes aren't expecting.
Click to expand...

Clothing solidly that color? No. But partially that color like in part of the camo pattern, that'd be weird. Might work.
 
Tweak42 said:
Am I the only one thinking stuff like this will mess with computer visual recognition algorithms?
Possible use messing with facial recognition, self driving cars, etc.
Click to expand...

I think thats one of the reasons for the export embargo in certain situations, this stuff has serious Mil applications too.
 
Armenius said:
Just noticed that you can see a little light being reflected along the bottom edge of the sphere.
Click to expand...
I think you are seeing the JPEG compression artifacting along the edge of the sphere. JPEG compression (especially at the terrible 75% in this particular picture file) doesn't handle sharp color transitions well.
Would be nice to see the original JPEG or BMP from the camera.
 
Azrak said:
I think you are seeing the JPEG compression artifacting along the edge of the sphere. JPEG compression (especially at the terrible 75% in this particular picture file) doesn't handle sharp color transitions well.
Would be nice to see the original JPEG or BMP from the camera.
Click to expand...
The JPG/JPEG format needs to DIAF... It's not needed anymore.
 
I don't care so much about light reflectiveness for my car. I was something that will absorb radar and laser.
 
So paint the walls, floor, and ceiling in a room with this and for everyone inside the room, even with a light on it will look like everyone is floating in a void.

Then have a person with a vantablack body suit on and they will be invisible in the room.
 
raz-0 said:
Clothing solidly that color? No. But partially that color like in part of the camo pattern, that'd be weird. Might work.
Click to expand...

Exactly, the purpose of camo is to basically break out your shape and silhouette so when someone looks in your direction their eyes and brain don't register what they are seeing as a person. I would imagine adding something like this to the mix would really aid in doing just that.
 
Ididar said:
No, you don't want that at night to be stealthy. You'll stand out too much. You'll be the only thing around that doesn't reflect light. The ball looks so odd in that photo because it is doing something that our eyes aren't expecting.
Click to expand...
you put a mesh of LED's on your Vanta Suit. The LED's use an RGB match to the background on the opposite side of your suit At a distance you would be visual stealth.
 
I wonder if this is the black the Rolling Stones were singing about... Had to wait 50 years to get it.

 
I wonder how deep the blacks on an old CRT rear projection TV would be if the interior was coated with this stuff?
 
SirMaster said:
So paint the walls, floor, and ceiling in a room with this and for everyone inside the room, even with a light on it will look like everyone is floating in a void.

Then have a person with a vantablack body suit on and they will be invisible in the room.
Click to expand...

Dont give the CIA any ideas.
 
I think I know what this really is.


Portable_Hole_8289.jpg
 
Interesting note, this would be really neat on a traditional watch face. Could make it look like the hands and time marks are just floating in space. Also since you can seal dust out, it would make it easier for it to maintain that appearance.
 
THe website says that this stuff isn't suitable for applications where it can be touched - it needs to be in a maintenance-free environment, like Dekoth-E- 's watch face.
 
from what i remember reading this is to be used on high end satellite telescopes. I think just a framed rectangle of this would be amazing in a house
 
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