Color-Changing Smart Fabrics

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a new novel smart material that is able to change color when it responds to heat and electricity. The team claims that this is the inaugural material to change color and shape based on two varying stimuli.

This could possibly lead to a wide range of applications including clothing that is able to heat up while it is being worn, or bumpers returning to their original shape after accidents. The material is inexpensive and environmentally friendly to create with polymer nano-composite fibers that are made from recycled plastic as well as stainless steel that come together on a woven structure. It is fused together with a device that functions similarly to a traditional loom.

Image Credit: University of Waterloo