CEPHALOPOD-INSPIRED ADAPTIVE INVISIBILITY IN LIVING SYSTEMS
Abstract
The Department of Defense has a long-standing vested interest in the development of adaptive camouflage systems that allow warfighters to conceal themselves and thus maintain their performance under rapidly-changing battlefield conditions. Within this context, cephalopods (e.g. squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish) have emerged as exciting sources of inspiration for new camouflage technologies due to their remarkable ability to change coloration and even perform literal vanishing acts, which remains unrivaled both in the natural world and among artificial systems. Herein, by drawing inspiration from the structures and functionalities of tunable cephalopod skin cells, we propose a technical strategy for designing and engineering human cells that contain dynamic subcellular architectures with designer optical characteristics and, as a result, possess controllable adaptive light-scattering and transparency-changing capabilities. When completed, the proposed work will furnish the fundamental knowledge and the scientific foundation necessary to support the development of unprecedented, next generation biomimetic warfighter camouflage and protection technologies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2021
- Source ID
- FA95502010412
Entities
People
- Alon Gorodetsky
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of California, Irvine