Chameleon clothes...

[Mercer Boy]

Check it out...some chemist dude is making this. He even has the same first name as me!

Chameleon clothing lets you vanish into the background
Wed Apr 5, 2:30 PM ET

PARIS (AFP) - A chemist in the United States is reportedly working on "chameleon clothing" that at the touch of a switch would mimic the wearer's surroundings.

Greg Sotzing, associate professor of the University of Connecticut at Storrs has invented threads of so-called electrochromic polymers that change colour in response to an applied electrical field, the British weekly says.

The threads work because the electrons in their chemical bonds can absorb light across a range of visible wavelengths.

When a voltage is applied, it changes the energy levels of the electrons, causing them to absorb light in a different wavelength and thus changing the material's colour.

So far, Sotzing has been able to change fibres from orange to blue and from red to blue. His next step is to create threads that switch from red, blue and green to white.

Ultimately, says New Scientist, Sotzing hopes to weave differently coloured threads into a criss-cross pattern so that, connected by metal wires to a battery pack, each crosspoint becomes a pixel -- the tiny point of light in a TV or computer screen.

The fabric could be made into clothing whose colour be switched by a microcontroller according to the wearer's mood.

Or, by connecting the microcontroller to a camera, the pixels could display the pattern and colours of the wearer's surroundings, thus helping him to melt into the background.

The report appears in this Saturday's issue of New Scientist.

Other scientists in this field are working on electrochromic polymer films that could change the colour of a surface. The films could darken window panes automatically in response to bright light, or be used to display ads in packaging or personal messages or greeting cards.

You know the best part?

That this has basically no relative significance whatsoever. Seriously, who's going to wear clothes with a big battery attached to them. How is that going to blend into stuff?

[jayday]

You know the best part?

That this has basically no relative significance whatsoever. Seriously, who's going to wear clothes with a big battery attached to them. How is that going to blend into stuff?

I don't know...They once said that home PCs would never catch on...Now everyone has one

I wonder how much money this project cost them?

[mutantseabass]

Anyone remember Hyper color Tshirts?

[dream_017]

Anyone remember Hyper color Tshirts?

Never had one but they were pretty popular

[BrutallyHuge]

Remember Zubaz pants?

[logan]

Remember Zubaz pants?

painfully yes. those were awful.


as far as this goes it has it's applicable uses. military uses mostly but it does have some.besides who wouldn't want to walk around like predator?

[onnestabe]

You know the best part?

That this has basically no relative significance whatsoever. Seriously, who's going to wear clothes with a big battery attached to them. How is that going to blend into stuff?

They are already making clothing and shoes that generate electricity from your body's natural movement. I would think that by the time he can actually make clothes that blend into the surroundings, we will also have shoes that generate and store enough electricity to run it.

[skibrett15]

Check it out...some chemist dude is making this. He even has the same first name as me!

You know the best part?

That this has basically no relative significance whatsoever. Seriously, who's going to wear clothes with a big battery attached to them. How is that going to blend into stuff?

you're a chemist right? you don't think this is interesting? I'm a Chem major and I think this is pretty cool. It's not super practical, but things get smaller, so that battery pack won't be as big if this ever becomes something.

[skibrett15]

Remember Zubaz pants?

Remember Jncos?

[Mercer Boy]

Check it out...some chemist dude is making this. He even has the same first name as me!

You know the best part?

That this has basically no relative significance whatsoever. Seriously, who's going to wear clothes with a big battery attached to them. How is that going to blend into stuff?

you're a chemist right? you don't think this is interesting? I'm a Chem major and I think this is pretty cool. It's not super practical, but things get smaller, so that battery pack won't be as big if this ever becomes something.

Yes I am! It is different, but it just doesn't seem practical. I suppose if they made it streamlined it'd be good for military use, but for private use...