00:00This is a remote-controlled chameleon, and while the robot might not impress, it's the robot's exterior that's the most interesting.
00:11That's because it's covered in what its developers are calling artificial chameleon skin, which changes color in real time depending on its surroundings.
00:18And it's the first of its kind. The skin is made up of thermochromic liquid crystal layers that are stacked on top of one another and connected via silver nanowires.
00:26A microprocessor detects the color of the surroundings before that information is used to determine how much heat is needed to change the color of the exterior of the chameleon's skin.
00:34And while this robot is only one foot three inches long, the skin's applications are massive.
00:39The researchers say beyond being used militarily or for scout robots to blend in, they see a world of color-changing wearables and flexible displays,
00:46possibly someday letting you change your outfit, even the color of your car, without actually changing either.
00:51The robot and the research surrounding its color-changing skin were recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
00:57This is a test-to-sort of the
01:06U.S. Department of the U.S. Department of Government.
