A prototype of the Chameleon Robot.

Gulf Today Report

Scientists from Seoul National University in South Korea have invented a robot that changes color according to the colour of the surrounding environment, and they named it Chameleon.

The journal Nature Communications notes that there are other creatures that can change their colour to merge in the surrounding environment, including some types of spiders.

In order to achieve the idea of the chameleon robot, the researchers created a special “skin,” the upper layer of which is filled with inks that change color upon heating, as the heat forces the tiny ink particles to form helical structures that reflect light at a specific wavelength.

That is, the difference in the amount of heat leads to the formation of helical structures of different sizes, allowing them to reflect the desired color.

The second layer of "chameleon skin" consists of a number of heating elements.

The researchers tested the "chameleon skin" on the robot, and it was found that it changes its colour according to the surrounding environment.

The researchers provided the chameleon robot with the necessary microcircuits, which enables it to crawl forward.

Sensors installed on the lower surface of his body recognize what color the robot is crawling on, and in light of that, its colour changes.

Innovators expected the invention will be widely used in military industries.