---
title: "University of Illinois team builds 3D thermal cloak that works from any direction"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/university-of-illinois-team-builds-3d-thermal-cloak-that-works-from-any-direction/
date: 2026-07-15
modified: 2026-07-15
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, working with the Technical University of Denmark, have reported building the first three-dimensional device capable of hiding objects from infrared detection regardless of..."
categories:
  - "AM Research"
  - "Metal Additive Manufacturing"
  - "Research & Education"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Illinois-3D-thermal-cloak-01-640x427.jpg
word_count: 381
---

# University of Illinois team builds 3D thermal cloak that works from any direction

[Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://www.voxelmatters.com/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign-to-launch-new-am-center/), working with the Technical University of Denmark, have reported building the first three-dimensional device capable of hiding objects from infrared detection regardless of which direction heat approaches from, according to [a study published in the journal *Nature Communications*](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73167-0).

![University of Illinois team builds 3D thermal cloak that works from any direction](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Illinois-3D-thermal-cloak-Shelly-Zhang-255x340.jpg)Shelly Zhang, professor of civil and environmental engineering, University of Illinois

Earlier thermal cloaks worked only in two dimensions or along a single direction of heat flow; the new design guides heat around an object from essentially any angle so that, to an infrared camera, the space appears empty.

The project was led by Shelly Zhang, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with postdoctoral researcher Weichen Li, graduate student Yibo Wang and Ole Sigmund, professor at the Technical University of Denmark.

“A real thermal cloak should work no matter where the heat comes from,” Zhang said. “Our device can hide a complex 3D object in an infinite number of directions while keeping the temperature inside stable and protected.”

## Lattice design and fabrication

The team returned to the theory of transformation thermotics and developed a [lattice-based material adjustable along three axes](https://www.voxelmatters.com/tetmets-low-energy-approach-to-metal-lattice-construction/), allowing control of regional heat conduction across a wider range than prior approaches. 

The design was fabricated rather than tested only in simulation: a 3D printed aluminum lattice formed the high-conductivity portion of the structure, and mold casting filled it with a rubber-like, low-conductivity material.

## Testing and applications

In lab testing, the researchers placed the device between hot and cold regions and used an infrared camera to track heat flow around and through it. From outside, the temperature field appeared as though no object were present, while the interior stayed uniform and shielded from the external extremes. 

The team also cloaked complex geometries, including detailed head-like shapes, and reported that no previous experimental thermal cloak has matched this combination of geometric complexity and performance.

The researchers pointed to possible uses in managing heat around sensitive electronics and in security and defense, including concealing people or equipment from thermal detection. Looking ahead, the team plans to explore cloaks able to mask objects that generate their own heat. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Villum Foundation and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.