Scientists create smart synthetic skin that can hide images and change shape

Synthetic materials are widely used across science, engineering, and industry, but most are designed to perform only a narrow range of tasks. A research team at Penn State set out to change that. Led by Hongtao Sun, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering (IME), the group developed a new fabrication technique that can produce multifunctional "smart synthetic skin." These adaptable materials can be programmed to perform a wide variety of tasks, including hiding or revealing information, enabling adaptive camouflage, and supporting soft robotic systems.

Using this new approach, the researchers created ...