Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Ok, I'm doing a science fair by my self this year and I'm having a very difficult time with my research. I'm doing a project based on the octopus. Because it's the master of camouflage, I want to mimic it. I know that the octopus has cells in its skin that act like prisms to when the sun's rays go through the ocean, the octopus will "change" colors(depending on if it's on a coral reef or where it's located). My idea is to help the US Armed Forces. Instead of making thousands of different uniforms for different environments, I want them to make one so it will conserve our money and it will also help our environment. My idea was making a suit that had "prisms" all over it and it would mimic how the octopus camouflages its self. My idea also will help the environment. If someone leaves the Armed forces, they can take the suit apart and make a few more out of the material that was used for that suit. Instead of using something super high-tech, I will make the suits out of plastic. I'm stuck because i don't know what type of plastic i should use in order to make the prisms, and what material would be the best for the suits.

Hi,

This website document shows a variety of variable color technologies for textiles(with professional contact information at the end):

http://www.photonics.phys.polymtl.ca/Ov ... w_2009.pdf

Here is the website of a Canadian research group whose interests are highly relevant to yours:

http://www.photonics.phys.polymtl.ca/

Here is a short paper with extensive references that might be helpful to you:

http://xslabs.net/karma-chameleon/paper ... les_OE.pdf

This paper and research group could possibly be of interest to you:

http://www.ntcresearch.org/pdf-rpts/anr ... G03-A1.pdf

This website on intelligent textiles appears relevant ( check out the info on electro chromic dyes about half way down the page):

http://smartgarments.blogspot.com/2007/ ... -step.html

Work related to electrochromic textile materials appears to be going on at the University of Conneticut, Polymer Program, Institute of Material Science (Gregory Sotzing and others):

http://www.ibridgenetwork.org/uconn/nov ... trochromic

With these leads I think you can explore quite deeply into your excellent ideas. Google searching on the terms related to these ideas should be very productive. I wish you every success on this project. It is a very active current area of research with great potential for interesting innovations.

Good luck!

Barrett L. Tomlinson

Hi,

You might want to investigate electrochromism as a technology for your camouflaging textile. If you do, these links may help:

http://nathan.instras.com/documentDB/paper-134.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr= ... &q&f=false

http://www.amazon.com/Electrochromism-E ... 21822696#_

Here is a paper describing formation of electro chromic fibers on paper:

http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/127 ... 012014.pdf

And a short paper abstract by Dr. Sotzing on making electro chromic fibers:
http://event08.ise-online.org/site/files/ise082052.pdf

I suspect the electro chromic fiber technology, while it might be above your technical abilities at the present time, offers one of the most likely paths to success in achieving the goals set forth in your question.

Best regards,

Barrett L. Tomlinson