PhotoChromeleon Creates Color-Changing Objects

Blog | by Linda Arcadipane | 10.17.2019

So, what color car do you feel like driving to work this morning? Green? Pink? Blue?  In the near future consumers will have the remarkable ability to change the color of objects like their cars, clothing, or shoes thanks to a new light- responsive ink created by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. 

Dubbed PhotoChromeleon, the “reprogrammable ink” gives objects the ability to change color and pattern when exposed to light of certain wavelengths.

People could update older items once they tired of their original color, and manufacturers could cut down on overproduction.

“This special type of dye could enable a whole myriad of customization options that could improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce overall waste,” said CSAIL postdoctoral researcher Yuhua Jin, lead author on a paper about the project presented at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.

Added MIT professor Stefanie Mueller, “By giving users the autonomy to individualize their items, countless resources could be preserved, and the opportunities to creatively change your favorite possessions are boundless.”

IBC Shell is proposing methods to use this groundbreaking process on items like packaging, displays, brandware and visual aids. Re-programmable ink offers a unique completely immersive experience, and we can’t wait to see where it goes from here!