'Pokemon GO' Leads Way for Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak to Become a Reality? Fans Want 'Magical' Version of AR Game

By Carol Canete, CP Contributor Monday, July 18, 2016

The invisibility cloak is on its way to become a reality. After the "Pokemon Go" craze, Potterheads want a "Harry Potter" version of the famous item.

Harry Potter and the Cloak of Invisibility

For those who don't know, the invisibility cloak is a famous "Harry Potter" item introduced on the first installment of the movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," during one cozy Christmas morning at Hogwarts. It was revealed when Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) were opening Christmas presents at their house's common room.

Harry received a parcel with a note that says, "It is time it was returned to you. Use it well." Alas, Harry tried the cloak on, which made Ron scream, "Wicked!" Harry, with a rattled face, pointed out that his body was missing.

The history of the cloak went further back in the past and was explained through the "Tale of the Three Brothers." The other two items involved in the story include the sorcerer's stone and the elder wand, which were also acquired by Harry.

Real Life Invisibility Cloak in the Making

Researchers in the Queen Mary University of London is close to creating the cloak of invisibility. By enhancing specific properties of electromagnetic radiation, the researchers were able to create a composite coating. With this material, it can make curved objects look flat. The team used an arrangement known as graded index nanocomposite which makes objects disappear by the utilization of nano-size particle.

This creation could be used in a wider range of angles. Yang Hao from the Electronic Engineering Department said, "The design is based upon transformation optics." This was the concept behind the invisibility cloak. He also shared that previous studies showed the technique working at a single frequency.

However, recent studies confirmed that it could now work at a greater range of frequency, "making it more useful for the engineering applications, such as nano-antennas and the aerospace industry," Hao added.

Another study was made in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where the researchers developed a microscopic invisibility shield that could possibly scale up in size.

Harry Potter Go? A Magical Version of "Pokemon Go"

Twitter was filled with the hashtag #WeNeedHarryPotterGo after "Pokemon Go" was launched in the UK. "Harry Potter" fans contributed some ideas on Twitter about a "Harry Potter" version of the "Pokemon Go." One of the best ideas for the game is catching magical beasts. The more magical beast a user collects, the more spells it can cast. Another one is getting sorted into Houses and being able to battle other wizards at various magical stops.