Cephalopods such as octopuses and squid can quickly change both the color and texture of their skin to blend into their surroundings, a capability that engineers have long struggled to duplicate in synthetic materials. In a paper in the journal Nature Communications, now researchers including Professor Xuanhe Zhao (joint appointment with Mechanical Engineering) explain how they created a flexible material that can change its color texture in response to a change in voltage applied to it. Zhao says the same basic approach could eventually lead to production of large, flexible display screens and anti-fouling coatings for ships. Read the MIT news story: https://newsoffice-mit-edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/2014/material-changes-color-texture-octopus-0916