Ultimate Camouflage Tech Mimics Octopus In Scientific First (theregister.com)
(Friday January 09, 2026 @05:00AM (BeauHD)
from the now-you-see-me-now-you-don't dept.)
- Reference: 0180551661
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/01/09/0312218/ultimate-camouflage-tech-mimics-octopus-in-scientific-first
- Source link: https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/08/camouflage_tech_mimics_octopus/
Researchers at Stanford University have created a programmable synthetic "skin" that [1]can independently change color and texture , "a feat previously only available within the animal kingdom," reports the Register. From the report:
> The technique employs electron beams to write patterns and add optical layers that create color effects. When exposed to water, the film swells to reveal texture and colors independently, depending on which side of the material is exposed, according to a paper [2]published in the scientific journal Nature this week. In an accompanying article, University of Stuttgart's Benjamin Renz and Na Liu said the researchers' "most striking achievement was a photonic skin in which color and texture could be independently controlled, mirroring the separate regulation... in octopuses."
>
> The research team used the polymer PEDOT:PSS, which can swell in water, as the basis for their material. Its reaction to water can be controlled by irradiating it with electrons, creating textures and patterns in the film. By adding thin layers of gold, the researchers turned surface texture into tunable optical effects. A single layer could be used to scatter light, giving the shiny metal a matte, textured appearance. To control color, a polymer film was sandwiched between two layers of gold, forming an optical cavity, which selectively reflects light.
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/08/camouflage_tech_mimics_octopus/
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09948-2
> The technique employs electron beams to write patterns and add optical layers that create color effects. When exposed to water, the film swells to reveal texture and colors independently, depending on which side of the material is exposed, according to a paper [2]published in the scientific journal Nature this week. In an accompanying article, University of Stuttgart's Benjamin Renz and Na Liu said the researchers' "most striking achievement was a photonic skin in which color and texture could be independently controlled, mirroring the separate regulation... in octopuses."
>
> The research team used the polymer PEDOT:PSS, which can swell in water, as the basis for their material. Its reaction to water can be controlled by irradiating it with electrons, creating textures and patterns in the film. By adding thin layers of gold, the researchers turned surface texture into tunable optical effects. A single layer could be used to scatter light, giving the shiny metal a matte, textured appearance. To control color, a polymer film was sandwiched between two layers of gold, forming an optical cavity, which selectively reflects light.
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/08/camouflage_tech_mimics_octopus/
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09948-2
ultimate camouflage tech (Score:2)
by phantomfive ( 622387 )
Surely it's Wonder Woman's invisible plane.
Octopus? (Score:2)
I thought the champion of changing color was the Cuttlefish
Re: (Score:2)
> I thought the champion of changing color was the Cuttlefish
You might be right, but the article didn't declare a champion. It just declared the programmable skin could mimic an octopus's skin.
Re: (Score:2)
Now you can be Orange too!