Cloaking devices constructed from reflection boundaries and half-mirrors and vehicles comprising the same

A cloaking device assembly comprising:

• an object-side, an image-side, a cloaked region (CR) between the object-side and the image-side, and a reference optical axis extending from the object-side to the image-side;
• a first object-side CR reflection boundary and a first object-side optical component sub-assembly on a first side of the reference optical axis, the first object-side optical component sub-assembly comprising a first object-side outward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the first object-side CR reflection boundary, a first object-side inward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the first object-side outward-positioned half-mirror, and at least one of a first object-side outward-positioned reflection boundary spaced apart and parallel to the first object-side CR reflection boundary and a first object-side half-wave plate spaced apart and not parallel to the first object-side CR reflection boundary;
• a second object-side CR reflection boundary and a second object-side optical component sub-assembly on a second side of the reference optical axis opposite the first side, the second object-side optical component sub-assembly comprising a second object-side outward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the second object-side CR reflection boundary, a second object-side inward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the second object-side outward-positioned half-mirror, and at least one of a second object-side outward-positioned reflection boundary spaced apart and parallel to the second object-side CR reflection boundary and a second object-side half-wave plate spaced apart and not parallel to the second object-side CR reflection boundary;
• a first image-side CR reflection boundary and a first image-side optical component sub-assembly on the first side of the reference optical axis, the first image-side optical component sub-assembly comprising a first image-side outward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the first image-side CR reflection boundary, a first image-side inward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the first image-side outward-positioned half-mirror, and at least one of a first image-side outward-positioned reflection boundary spaced apart and parallel to the first image-side CR reflection boundary and a first image-side half-wave plate spaced apart and not parallel to the first image-side CR reflection boundary;
• a second image-side CR reflection boundary and a second image-side optical component sub-assembly on the second side of the reference optical axis opposite the first side, the second image-side optical component sub-assembly comprising a second image-side outward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the second image-side CR reflection boundary, a second image-side inward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the second image-side outward-positioned half-mirror, and at least one of a second image-side outward-positioned reflection boundary spaced apart and parallel to the second image-side CR reflection boundary and a second image-side half-wave plate spaced apart and not parallel to the second image-side CR reflection boundary;
• wherein light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device assembly and obscured by the CR is redirected around the CR via three optical paths on the first side of the reference optical axis and three optical paths on the second side of the reference optical axis to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device assembly such that the light from the object appears to pass through the CR.

A vehicle comprising:

• an A-pillar;
• and
• a cloaking device positioned on the A-pillar, the cloaking device comprising:
• an object-side, an image-side, and a cloaked region (CR) between the object-side and the image-side, and a reference optical axis extending from the object-side to the image-side, wherein the A-pillar is positioned within the cloaked region, the object-side is positioned on an exterior of the vehicle and the image-side is positioned within an interior of the vehicle;
• an object-side CR reflection boundary and an object-side optical component sub-assembly, the object-side optical component sub-assembly comprising an object-side outward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the object-side CR reflection boundary, an object-side inward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the object-side outward-positioned half-mirror, and at least one of an object-side outward-positioned reflection boundary spaced apart and parallel to the object-side CR reflection boundary and an object-side half-wave plate spaced apart and not parallel to the object-side CR reflection boundary;
• an image-side CR reflection boundary, and an image-side optical component sub-assembly, the image-side optical component sub-assembly comprising an image-side outward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the image-side CR reflection boundary, an image-side inward-positioned half-mirror spaced apart and generally parallel to the image-side outward-positioned half-mirror, and at least one of an image-side outward-positioned reflection boundary spaced apart and parallel to the image-side CR reflection boundary and an image-side half-wave plate spaced apart and not parallel to the image-side CR reflection boundary;
• wherein light from an object located on the object-side of the cloaking device and obscured by the A-pillar is redirected around the A-pillar via three optical paths to form an image of the object on the image-side of the cloaking device such that the light from the object appears to pass through the A-pillar.