The chameleon clothes of the future will change color

It's every fashionista's dream, said Marc Bain at Quartz: a coat that can change color so it always complements the rest of your outfit. Such chameleon clothing is now closer to reality, thanks to a team of MIT researchers who have "devised a way to make objects that can toggle between different colors." Called ColorFab, the system is built around photochromic inks that switch between transparent and colored states when exposed to certain wavelengths of UV light.

The researchers used the inks to create a "dense, multicolored pattern of ­voxels —­ basically units of visual information, like pixels, only in 3-D." After being "activated" with a UV light, the voxels hold their color for several weeks, at which point they start to fade and need to be reactivated. The researchers have so far only worked with 3-D printed plastic, but "believe the concept could be applied to other items, including clothing."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up