Stealth Coating Based on Squid Skin Could Make Soldiers Invisible to Night Vision
September 11th, 2013Via: Telegraph:
Most camouflage materials used to disguise soldiers and vehicles during the day show up easily when viewed through night vision goggles and infrared cameras.
This is because leaves and other foliage reflect infrared light in a different way to other fabrics and materials.
However, scientists at the University of California Irvine have created a new “stealth” coating that can change the way it reflects infrared light on command.
The films, which are around 100,000 times thinner than a human hair, can be switched on and off using a chemical signal.
Tests conducted by the researchers have shown that they can make an orange surface blend into green foliage when the coating is activated.
The technology mimics the active camouflage used by squid, where they change the colour and even the texture of their skin to blend into the background.
The researchers claim their new coating can be attached to a wide range of surfaces and is a first step towards developing “shape shifting clothing” capable of adapting to the environment around it.
Dr Alon Gorodestsky, an assistant professor of chemical engineering and material science at University of California Irvine, said: “Our approach is simple and compatible with a wide array of surfaces, potentially allowing many simple objects to acquire camouflage capabilities.
“Our long-term goal is to create fabrics that can dynamically alter their texture and colour to adapt to their environments.
“Basically, we’re seeking to make shape-shifting clothing – the stuff of science fiction – a reality.”
