Octopus Skin Inspires High-Tech Camouflage Fabric | The Institute for Creation Research

Octopus Skin Inspires High-Tech Camouflage Fabric

An octopus can change the color of its skin at will to mimic any kind of surrounding. It actively camouflages itself with astoundingly complicated biological machinery. Wouldn't it be great if, say, a soldier's uniform or an armored vehicle used similar technology?

Researchers from the University of Houston, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University have recently developed a heat-sensitive sheet that can automatically transition between black and white and produce multiple shades of gray.

Achieving their tiny prototype was no easy feat. A University of Houston news report said, "The flexible skin of the device is comprised of ultrathin layers, combining semiconductor actuators, switching components and light sensors with inorganic reflectors and organic color-changing materials in such a way to allow autonomous matching to background coloration."1

The team published their work in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, where they described their design as inspired by octopus skin.2

First, the octopus must detect the color of its surroundings, and in this human-engineered material photodiodes and multiplexing switches sense background patterns. In a 44-page supplement to the PNAS article, the authors listed 76 distinct steps required to fabricate their photodetector array and 74 steps to fabricate the diode array. Additional steps combine these arrays into the final product.

But all this ingenuity still pales in comparison to living octopus technology.

A Newsy online video quoted one of the PNAS study authors as having told National Geographic, "As an engineer looking at movies of squid, octopuses, and cuttlefish, you just [realize] that you're not going to get close to that level of sophistication."3

If a single fabrication step fails to occur, then the man-made color changing fabric would not function, illustrating the focused intent required to bring the design from concept to seamlessly functioning reality. How much more does the construction of octopus skin with its superior, higher-resolution, full-color fabric—that even heals itself—illustrate the focus and intent of a sophisticated genius Maker?

References

  1. Kever, J. Researchers Draw Inspiration for Camouflage System From Marine Life. University of Houston News. Posted on uh.edu August 19, 2014, accessed August 19, 2014.
  2. Yu, C. et al. Adaptive optoelectronic camouflage systems with designs inspired by cephalopod skins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online before print, August 18, 2014.
  3. Awesome New Camouflage Sheet Was Inspired By Octopus Skin. Newsy. Posted on sciencedaily.com August 19, 2014, accessed August 19, 2014.

* Mr. Thomas is Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Article posted on August 27, 2014.

The Latest
NEWS
The Only Mesozoic Dragonfly in Canada—Is a Dragonfly
In 2023, an undergraduate student from McGill University discovered a new dragonfly species in Alberta, Canada. In fact, “This is the first ever...

CREATION PODCAST
Dr. Jake Hebert | Journey to ICR | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
ICR’s science staff have spent more than 50 years researching scientific evidence that refutes evolutionary philosophy...

NEWS
Oldest Evidence of Butterflies
Insects such as the ubiquitous butterfly belong to the huge phylum Arthropoda (creatures having paired, jointed appendages and a chitinous exoskeleton)....

NEWS
Another Big Mistake in Evolution
The strange and wonderful coelacanth1 has long been a challenge to evolutionists. The coelacanth has long been hailed as an ancestor...

ACTS & FACTS
ICR 2025 Resource Catalog
At the Institute for Creation Research, our mission is not only to conduct research demonstrating how science confirms Scripture but also to share this...

NEWS
Show Your Love for the ICR Discovery Center on North Texas Giving...
Thursday, September 18, is North Texas Giving Day! We invite you to join others in supporting ICR’s unique ministry as well as our creation museum...

NEWS
Living Gyroscope in Flies
The lowly fruit fly (Drosophila) is the research biologist’s friend in fields such as biomedical science, genetics, and developmental biology....

NEWS
Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk Is Now with the Lord
Courageous Christian and creation supporter Charlie Kirk was murdered on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event held at Utah...

NEWS
Deliverance from Fear
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4) There are many things in such a world as ours that...

CREATION PODCAST
Can We Build a REAL Jurassic Park?! | The Creation Podcast: Episode...
In 1993, the movie Jurassic Park took the world by storm with its compelling characters, excellent cinematography, industry-altering...