From cephalopods, the clothes for the colder ones

Inspired by the chromatophores that cover the skin of octopus and cuttlefish, American researchers are creating a fabric that can adapt to the needs of those who suffer from heat or cold

Imagine a fabric that could trapor releaseheaton command. It could be the revolution in the world of materials and fabrics, making it possible to make clothing for all seasons, for example. To provide a suggestion for the implementation of this innovative technology, it was once again Mother Nature.

Octopuses, cuttlefish and squids, molluscs of the family of cephalopods, have the possibility of changing their colour by modifying, with a series of muscles, the shape of the so-called chromatophores, cells present in the skin of these molluscs. The same principle has been used by researchers at the University ofCalifornia to create a fabric that can regulate the body temperature of the wearer, controlling the amount of heat trapped or released.

The two researchers who are working on the project are Erica Leung and AlonGorodetsky, who have made small “islands” of metal, which border on each other. Under normal conditions these islands touch each other and the material consequently reflects and traps the heat. When the material is stretched, the islands move away from each other, allowing the heat to dissipate. The capacity of this material could be used to make clothes that suit everyone’s needs, leading to an estimated savingof 30 or 40% in expenses for domestic heating, in winter, or forcooling indoor environments in summer.