From top student in college to scientific research powerhouse

Chapter 49 What kind of technical skill can an invisible ball possess!
"Invisibility device? So I can't see it?"

"What kind of logic is that!"

Tan Yanming was left speechless and exasperated by Wang Qingxin's retort, but he couldn't come up with a retort no matter how hard he tried.

He was unwilling to give up, and after a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, "You learned it from Sun Wen, didn't you!"

"Director Tan, you've misunderstood. I'm not joking, it's true, it's really happening!"

Wang Qingxin said with a grin, "You'll see when you go down and take a closer look."

He said this and turned to walk downstairs.

Tan Yanming followed with curiosity, muttering to himself, "They say it's true? Can an invisibility device really make someone invisible? Even Qiguang wouldn't dare say that..."

Qiguang is a listed company that started by researching and developing metamaterials technology.

More than a decade ago, the founding team of Qiguang showcased an invisibility device at a technology expo. The outer layer of the device was made of a glass-like material, so people hiding behind the glass could not see it, while those facing it could only see the environment half a meter away.

There was a small child standing inside the installation; his body from the neck down was not visible.

What people outside see is the adult's legs behind the child.

The "Qiguang Invisibility Cloak" once caused a sensation and became an international news hotspot, but Qiguang's invisibility device is still visible. Even ignoring the device itself, the light transmittance of the invisibility area is not high, and the obscured part is clearly distinguished from the surrounding light and dark.

With doubts in his mind, Tan Yanming and Wang Qingxin returned to Sun Wen's office.

As soon as I entered, I saw two researchers sitting around a table, while Sun Wen was loudly exclaiming, "Look!"

"This is an invisible ball we made using a tablecloth, what do you think?"

"Is the tablecloth material alright?"

"If you stand a little further away, you won't be able to see it at all..."

Tan Yanming took a few quick steps, came closer and took a closer look, and immediately gasped, "It really is an invisible cloaking device!"

A sphere, when you get close you can only see its outline, and when you are a little further away, you can't even notice it unless you look carefully.

"Did you make this?" Tan Yanming asked to confirm, his eyes still fixed on the invisible sphere.

Sun Wen said smugly, "Director Tan, now you see? I told you I could do it."

"Our research is flawless! The invisible sphere, how about that..."

She kept talking excitedly.

Their research group has been consistently unsupported. The university has not provided funding, and their applications for grants from science foundations have been rejected. The institute has provided some funding, but it can only support some basic experiments.

The others in the institute were not optimistic about the project.

Now that she had created a truly invisible ball, she couldn't contain her excitement and pride.

Tan Yanming examined it carefully for a long time, then asked curiously, "What's the working principle behind this invisible sphere?"

Everyone else looked over as well.

Sun Wen paused for a moment, then immediately said, "It's a visual light perception model! Our research..."

"Shouldn't it?"

Wang Qingxin immediately questioned, "The visual light-sensing model is an optical camouflage. This sphere is clearly permeable by light; they are not the same concept."

"If you don't believe me, then forget it."

Sun Wen pursed her lips, picked up the invisible ball and put it inside the table. "Alright, I've seen it all."

"I put it away."

She didn't want to discuss professional issues.

Zhang Minghao's 'invisible sphere design' was a modification of their group's original design, and it wouldn't be wrong to call it a 'visual light-sensing model' research.

As for the specific principles...

She doesn’t know!
Sun Wen's actions left the others speechless, and they could only leave the office.

As soon as they stepped outside, Zhang Minghao walked in, carrying a similar base in his hand.

Is it also an invisible ball?
Tan Yanming's eyes lit up, and he immediately called out to Zhang Minghao, pulling him upstairs to his office.

The others followed.

in the office.

Tan Yanming stared intently at the invisible ball on the table, then asked about its design principles.

"The foundation is still Professor Sun Wen's research."

Zhang Minghao explained, "Professor Sun Wen's team developed a spherical design scheme for fuzzy visual perception."

"I made modifications to the original plan to minimize reflection and scattering..."

He explained.

Wang Qingxin asked curiously, "What's inside the sphere? I heard the material is opaque, right?"

"The inner layer of the material is light-absorbing material, and the inside is supported by a shaping filler."

"If it can conceal what's inside, it can be called an invisible sphere!" Tan Yanming commented, then asked a professional question, "Is it designed for visible light? Is it effective against infrared light?"

"Infrared light is effective."

"Where's the radar?"

"Invalid, high-frequency waves are all invalid."

The others asked several follow-up questions and gained a basic understanding of the invisible sphere.

The principle behind the invisibility sphere is to allow light to bypass the sphere and reduce the reflection and scattering of the incident light, thus achieving the penetration effect of visible light and infrared rays.

It is ineffective against high-frequency waves and shortwave waves, and it cannot see through from the inside out, which greatly reduces its military applications.

At the same time, its advantages are also very obvious. The invisibility sphere is 'truly' invisible; its outline can still be seen at close range, but it is invisible from a distance unless you look very closely.

In addition, the invisibility sphere is designed using a visual light-sensing model to maximize 'invisibility' performance and does not involve complex, high-cost 'metamaterial technology'.

In other words, the manufacturing cost is low.

Wang Qingxin pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he said, "Your invisibility spheres can be used to participate in the National University Achievement Exhibition next month!"

"At that time, we'll also strive to bring honor to the school!"

Others immediately chimed in, "Truly invisible; that would definitely attract attention at the meeting."

"Indeed!"

"Let them see the research capabilities of Jiangzhou University..."

……

The stealth performance of the stealth sphere has been unanimously affirmed by the entire research institute of optics.

The next steps are submitting research findings and applying for patents.

The news spread quickly.

Many people came specifically to see the invisible sphere, including school leaders and people from the provincial science and technology department.

Most of the tasks were handled by Sun Wen's team and the Institute of Optics.

Zhang Minghao also went a few times, each time to explain the principle behind the invisible sphere.

I spend the rest of my time doing my own thing.

The semiconductor modeling project is progressing rapidly, with professors at the university actively participating. The manual calculations for more than two thousand sets of data have already been completed.

This also kept Zhang Minghao busy, as he stayed in the project office on the ninth floor of the second comprehensive building to handle related work.

With the manual calculations complete, the next step is 'convergence verification'.

Each set of data requires about half an hour for 'convergence verification'.

After completing multiple sets of validations, the number of 'valuable' data sets will decrease, and the workload will be greatly reduced.

Zhang Minghao worked continuously for half a month, completing the convergence verification of nearly three hundred data sets.

The project is now almost complete.

More than a thousand sets of data have not yet been validated, but they are all 'worthless', and even if they were validated, the model parameters could not be corrected.

Of course, this is his own judgment.

Such a judgment cannot convince others, so the remaining data should be handed over to others to do. Once the data group has completed all the verification, it can be submitted to the new research institute and the project will be settled.

After finishing his project work, Zhang Minghao went to the Institute of Optics to see Sun Wen.

The first-floor office of the research institute.

Sun Wen, Wang Qingxin, and Tan Yanming were all present, along with Vice President Xu Peijun. They were discussing matters related to attending the 'National Higher Education Achievements Exhibition'.

As soon as Zhang Minghao entered, he was asked if he was going to attend the results exhibition.

Xu Peijun explained, "It's a national achievement exhibition, held annually. It's been held for three consecutive years, and this year's event is even larger, with hundreds of universities participating."

"The school also submitted the results for the Invisible Ball project. Usually, the results follow the person who created them. Are you going to participate?"

Zhang Minghao vaguely remembered Wang Qingxin mentioning the results presentation.

I didn't take it to heart at the time.

He hesitated for a moment, "Early next month? That's fine too..."

Then he suddenly asked Sun Wen, "Professor Sun, how is our experiment going?"

"experiment?"

Sun Wen paused for a moment, then spread her hands and said, "I want to do it, but I don't have the funds!"

Zhang Minghao looked puzzled and immediately asked Tan Yanming and Xu Peijun, "Director Tan, Principal Xu, didn't the school see the invisible ball?"

"The invisibility effect of the invisibility ball isn't bad, is it?"

"Of course."

"That's amazing!"

The two nodded in agreement.

Zhang Minghao continued, "Isn't this performance enough to warrant funding from the school?"

Tan Yanming was taken aback for a moment, then asked with a puzzled look, "The invisible sphere, isn't that the result? What do you need funding for?"

"Let's do an experiment!"

Zhang Minghao frowned and said very seriously, "The invisibility sphere is not an achievement, but a small invention during the research process."

"Our purpose in making the invisible sphere is to let people know that the research is promising."

"The ultimate goal of researching visual light-sensing models is to create an invisibility cloak, a material that allows people to become invisible when worn. What's so technologically advanced about an invisible sphere?"

"Our research is just beginning, and we will need to conduct a lot of experiments!"

Tan Yanming, Xu Peijun, and Wang Qingxin were stunned for a long time.

Is the invisible ball just a minor invention?

An invisible ball, with no technical skill involved?
Is the research just getting started?

They exchanged a glance, both feeling that Zhang Minghao was putting on an act, but they had no proof...

(End of this chapter)