Sharjah24 – Reuters: In a science lab in Seoul, a chameleon walks across different panels of colour, its skin instantly changing to match its surroundings. But in this case, the 'chameleon' is a mechanical robot with an artificial camouflage technology that mimics the colour-changing ability of the famous lizard.

A team of South Korean researchers, led by Ko Seung-hwan, a mechanical engineering professor at Seoul National University, created the "skin" with a special ink that changes colour based on temperature and is controlled by tiny, flexible heaters.

"Information about colour (detected by sensors on the robot) is sent to a microprocessor. The microprocessor has information about required temperatures needed to make certain colours, so it gives orders to (silver nanowire) heaters to make certain temperatures and (thermochromic liquid crystal layers) create a certain shade based on that," Ko explained.

The mechanical engineer said creating a wearable device that can actively change its colour and patterns was a goal of the study, so he took inspiration from the simple colour-changing mechanism of chameleons, since existing display technology has complex structures.

The total thickness of the flexible, multi-layered artificial skin is less than a hundred micrometers - thinner than a human hair. By adding additional silver nanowire layers in simple shapes such as dots, lines or squares, the skin can create complex patterns.

Ko envisions his research can be adapted not just for military uniforms to help soldiers blend into their surroundings, but also for aesthetic purposes such as for fashion, exteriors of cars and buildings, as well as for future display technology.

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications in August.