Regarding Ruthenium Polymer coatings is that as an Infiltration expert, you should always have your gear coated with the stuff. A flashlight isn't going to be much use if the source is hidden, but the guards or sensors can see the effects of light bouncing off surfaces. You should have low-light and thermal capabilities with glasses, goggles or contacts at the least. I usually have one small backpack with ruthenium coating to carry extra gear and to stash loot that is not easily concealable.
The idea I would like to run with if a GM approves is finding a chemist who can create a Spray-on Ruthenium Polymer coating from an aerosol can (probably with some nanites programmed to arrange the polymers for optimal concealment). Spray with a Signal-blocking Paint first as well and you can make a man-sized object disappear from a security system's sensors with some degree of certainty.
It's a little too complex to be available in a can :p in fact, there alot going on in the ruthenium coating. First, tiny cameras placed on the object that is coated scan the surroundings for color, patterns, and textures. Next the cameras relay this info to the coating, and the coating then tries to mimic said colors, patterns and textures in an effort to blur your 3 dimensional profile.
It's failings come in when you run into certain situations like the following:
Fast movement: the faster you move, the less time the cameras and coating have to scan, adapt, and blend into the background, at really high speeds you end up with a 'blurring' effect that could be noticeable (GMs call)
Thermographic vision: the system itself produces heat, just as anything with energy running through it does. So Vs a thermo camera, you still stand out. This can not be overcome by thermal dampening because the coating must be your most "outside" layer to hide you.
Totally ineffective against spirits and astral perception: spirits and astral perception see your aura, not the colors of your clothing or the colors of the surroundings. So to a perceiving Mage, or a spirit, the coating does nothing.
Sonic scanners and radar: both these systems work by 'pinging' an area with sound waves and building a 3D model of the environment based on how long the return 'ping' takes to get back to the sensor, and the change in modulation caused by the density object. Color has nothing to do with it, so to these sensors, you still stand out.
All that said, ruthenium coating is still a VERY effective tool that every infeltration expert should have in their tool box! It's short commings are far outweighed by the advantages it gives. And besides, a good infeltration expert should have other ways to get around the above opposition
