Multistimuli-Responsive Camouflage Swimmers

Multistimuli-responsive camouflaging and autonomously propelled swimmers are presented. These bioinspired artificial swimmers are capable of color changing in response to a variety of environmental stimuli such as temperature, pH, and light. By multiplexing different stimuli-responsive materials on a single swimmer, a vast library of independently addressable colors can be achieved. Unlike other color-changing robots, our color-changing swimmers can move autonomously in solution and are decoupled from tethered supports. The utilized leuco dyes, pH indicators, and phosphorescent powders display excellent reversibility and prolonged color retention. Finally, we design camouflage patterns which render the swimmers invisible against virtually any background, while revealing the swimmer upon changing the environmental conditions. By mimicking animal camouflage strategies these artificial swimmers present a significant step toward realizing multienvironmental stimuli-responsive color-changing strategies for the next generation of smart robotics. Such capabilities can be further enhanced by coupling color-changing ability with stimuli-triggered speed or shape change.