Japanese Olympic athletes will wear costumes designed to block infrared cameras

Similar to how stealth aircraft avoid detection by deflecting radar signals away from detectors, this fabric will absorb and prevent infrared light from reaching cameras and infrared sensors.

Some devices have unintentionally demonstrated how infrared sensors used in night vision goggles and thermal cameras can reveal things the naked eye cannot see, such as the 'Photochrom' color filter of The OnePlus 8 Pro works like X-ray Vision on the thin shell of the Apple TV. When used on humans, infrared photography can reveal the contours of a person's body or the underwear they are wearing underneath thin layers of clothing, such as athlete's wear.

In 2020, athletes complained to the Japanese Olympic Committee after discovering 'photos of them taken with infrared cameras were shared on social media with sexually explicit captions' , according to The Japan Times. Since then, Mizuno, Sumitomo Metal Mining and Kyodo Printing have jointly developed a new fabric that is stretchy enough to be used in sports uniforms while also protecting athletes.

In the experiment shared by Mizuno, the black letter 'C' was printed underneath the 'Game uniform fabric' layer and the new infrared absorbing fabric was almost completely obscured when photographed with an infrared camera. Multiple layers of new light-absorbing fabric will help, but with athletes concerned about the extremely high temperatures expected at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, uniforms need to strike a balance between Protects against invading insects while keeping the body cool and comfortable.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 27 June 2024