Cuttlefish Influences the Latest Camouflage Technology

A cephalopod deemed the cuttlefish has inspired a new type of camouflage system.

As these creatures are masters at blending in with their surroundings, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana and the University of Houston in Texas worked to create a flexible pixelated sheet that can detect light falling upon it while simultaneously changing colors at the same time.

"These devices are capable of producing black-and-white patterns that spontaneously match those of the surroundings, without user input or external measurement," the study notes. 

As octopi and cuttlefish, alike, carry the amazing ability to expand and contract pigment cells located throughout their body, simultaneously changing the color and texture of their skin to mimic the surrounding area, researchers worked to recreate this idea with a synthetic material.

"I think we've put together the key elements that are needed," said lead study author John Rogers, who heads the materials research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and expert of the Rogers Research Group, via IEEE Spectrum.

The researchers worked to develop a material comprised of stacked and very thin dye layers that are divided into pixels that are normally black. However, the material can become transparent when heated. 

"It's nothing close to being ready to deploy, in a military setting or anything else," Rogers said, via BBC News. "It's really a beginning point, to focus on the engineering science around how you might create systems that have this type of function."

With future studies, researchers hope to bring in more colors to the camouflage mix than just black or white. They also hope for a faster response time in the future.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).