Adaptive Camouflage

摘要

Researchers are developing elec-trochromic devices capable of adjusting their infrared emissivity. Electro-chromism is the ability of a compound to change color when a charge is applied to it. Electrochromic materials have existed for some time and are used in self-dimming rear-view mirrors and smart windows. Infrared radiation is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light. Infrared radiation is often associated with heat because humans, based on their body temperature, emit radiation in this range. With electrochromic devices, a charge can be applied to effectively change the device's color, thus changing the amount of infrared radiation that can pass through it. By controlling the amount of infrared radiation that is emitted, one can conceivably conceal objects that are warmer than their surroundings.