Toyota has received a US patent for “Apparatuses and methods for making an object appear transparent,”> which effectively translates into a “cloaking device” you might expect in a science fiction movie.
Actual usage could prove to be less interesting than you might expect, though still proof to a wonder of science — the patent illustrates a potential use as making the A-pillars to the left and right of the dashboard disappear.
This would greatly expand a driver’s field of vision and thereby make driving safer — from CNET:
In the patent, Toyota points out that this sort of technology can already be put to use in vehicles, but it requires video cameras and other expensive materials and equipment. Therefore, an equally efficient but less expensive solution needed to be found, and Toyota believes its “cloaking device” fits that bill.
One more thing to point out — if you take a close look at the illustration, it resembles a Lexus GS steering wheel:
Also, other illustrations in the patent bear a strange resemblance to the Lexus LFA:
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