Production of ink-inspired camouflage material

Most camouflage materials used in the military today can only shield soldiers during the day, not to help them hide at night when the enemy uses night vision or infrared cameras. That's why scientists at the University of California at Irvine are working on a type of invisibility cloak that changes color under infrared light.

>>> Intelligent dress changes colors and shapes

Photo: erinsodyssey.blogspot.com

The idea of infrared imitation camouflage is inspired by squid that has the ability to change colors and even the texture of the skin so that it fits in the background, avoiding predators.

Published on Germany's Advanced Materials Science Week, Dr. AlonGorodestsky and colleagues, have said they used a protein called reflectin - the structure needed to change the color and reflectivity of ink - in a common bacterium to make film-like optical skin resembling squid skin and 100,000 times thinner than hair.

When exposed to certain chemical agents, such as humidity in the air (usually rising at night) or vinegar, the color and light reflectance of the membrane may vary, allowing It becomes invisible and reappears in front of the infrared camera.

"This is the perfect start to the goal of creating a fabric that can change the structure and color to adapt to the environment.