Consumers could change the colour of their cars, shoes, clothes or other belongings at will, using a new light-responsive ink from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dubbed PhotoChromeleon, the "reprogrammable ink" gives objects the ability to change colour and pattern when exposed to light of certain wavelengths.
The change is reversible and repeatable ? users could update their items every day, if they wished ? and the colour would stay fast in ordinary settings.
PhotoChromeleon is the invention of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). Its researchers believe the ink could help reduce waste by reducing the demand for new goods.
"Countless resources could be preserved"
People could update older items once they tired of their original colour, and manufacturers could cut down on overproduction. "This special type of dye could enable a whole myriad of customisation 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.
"By giving users the autonomy to individualise their items, countless resources could be preserved, and the opportunities to creatively change your favourite possessions are boundless," added MIT professor Stefanie Mueller.
MIT designed the programmable ink, which it has named PhotoChromeleon
The CSA...