An American chemist is designing a chameleon suit that can display the exact image of the surrounding environment with just the press of a button.
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Chameleons have the ability to change color according to their environment |
Greg Sotzing, a professor at the University of Connecticut, has invented electrochromic polymer fibers that can change color in response to an electric field. When an electric current is applied, these fibers alter the energy of the electrons in their chemical bonds, causing them to absorb light at different wavelengths and thus change the color of the material.
So far, Sotzing has successfully changed the fibers from orange to blue and red to blue. His next step is to create fibers that can shift from red, blue, and green to white. Ultimately, Sotzing hopes to weave these differently colored fibers in a diagonal pattern, so that when connected to a battery, each connection point will function as a pixel – similar to a bright spot on a TV or computer screen.
This fiber will be woven into garments that change color thanks to a mood-sensing device worn by the user. Alternatively, by connecting the mood device to a camera, the pixels will display the shapes and colors of the wearer’s surrounding environment, helping them blend into the background.
M.T.
