FINESHUT and IR Flock Sheet absorb from visible to near-infrared, come with adhesive backing, and can be laser-cut to your drawing.

Black clothing and black anodizing can look perfectly black and still reflect near-infrared light. NIR camera photos and measured reflectance show which materials absorb NIR.

A high school robot sumo team covered its 500 g robots with IR Flock Sheet. An infrared distance sensor that normally detected them at about 40 cm only reacted at about 5 cm.

A material that looks black to the eye can be bright to a near-infrared sensor. Based on our paper in the Journal of the Japan Society of Infrared Science and Technology, here are three ways to build absorbers that work from the visible range into the NIR, with measured data.

Black anodized aluminum looks matte black, but in the near-infrared it reflects more than 80% of light. Here is what our measurements showed, and how a thin FINESHUT SP lining stops the resulting stray light.

Tokyo Polytechnic University’s robot club, Karakuri Kobo, introduced a stealth advantage in the All-Japan Robot Sumo Tournament by using Fineshut KIWAMI, an advanced infrared-absorbing sheet. By reducing detection from infrared sensors, the material showcased new possibilities in competitive robotics. Although the team competed in the 500g autonomous class without advancing to nationals, their innovative use of stealth technology highlights the future of robot sumo and advanced materials.

Discover how near-infrared light powers everyday tech like iPhone Face ID and TrueDepth, and learn how the same wavelengths are shaping the future of LiDAR and autonomous driving.