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DENVER — Soldiers could soon use camouflage stickers inspired by squids to prevent themselves from being detected by infrared cameras.
Squids possess a protein in their skin called reflectin, which allows them to blend into their surroundings, according to researchers. A team from the University of California Irvine said it found a way to reproduce the protein in a lab setting and combine it with a sticky tape.
"Soldiers wear uniforms with the familiar green and brown camouflage patterns to blend into foliage during the day, but under low light and at night, they're still vulnerable to infrared detection," researcher Alon Gorodetsky said in a statement. "We've developed stickers for use as a thin, flexible layer of camo with the potential to take on a pattern that will better match the soldiers' infrared reflectance to their background and hide them from active infrared visualization."
While the technology is still in the development stage, researchers touted the stickers’ potential at a recent American Chemical Society national meeting. Right now the stickers can reflect near-infrared light, and the team is focusing on finding ways to reflect mid-and-far infrared wavelengths as well.
"We're going after something that's inexpensive and completely disposable," Gorodetsky said. "You take out this protein-coated tape, you use it quickly to make an appropriate camouflage pattern on the fly, then you take it off and throw it away."
