Poles are the first in the world to work on a system that, like a chameleon, changes colour of objects observed with the naked eye, such as a tank or command post. In the future, it could change the of soldier\'s uniform and adapt it to the environment.
Currently, the military commonly uses passive camouflage. It involves covering an object with paint in several colours. "We wanted to take it a step further and make a device that would allow the container transported from place to place to copy the colour of the environment, vegetation, in which it is located" - explained in an interview with PAP Prof. Adam Januszko from the Military Institute of Engineer Technology in Wrocław.
His team has prepared a prototype device that, if mounted on a tank, can change its colour. According to Prof. Januszko, the device the scientists dubbed "chameleon" includes specific elements: "the eyes, brain and skin". "The eye is a professional digital camera which provides information about the environment. Second part is the computer that determines the dominant colour in the environment" - said the scientist.
The skin are so-called electrochromic windows. These small devices changes colour depending on applied voltage. Such windows can be used to cover tank armour, command post, or the surface of a container for water purification. The windows can be flexible, so you can fit them on the object they should cover. For now, the windows are powered by batteries, but in the future, the researchers plan to obtain the necessary energy using photovoltaic cells, from solar energy.
Digital colour management system developed and patented by scientists from Wrocław allows to capture the characteristic colours from the environment, which at a given site are over 10 percent of the colour of the area. "The colours of the environment are processed into the colours in computer language" - said Prof. Januszko. This allow a tank covered with colour-changing electrochromic windows to move unnoticed, and objects transported from place to place do not need to be repainted every time.
Scientists are also going to work on a colour-changing uniform, but first need to create a special, powered fibre. "It can be used to make a uniform, cape, tent. This, however, requires the development of a technology that is not used in the world yet" - emphasised the scientist.
Prof. Januszko explained that the currently known active camouflage solutions only work in thermal infrared. "They allow to modify the image seen in the infrared camera by changing the temperature. This prevents the camera from seeing a then true image of a military object" - he noted. Researchers from Wroclaw are the first in the world to trying to develop solutions to change the colour of objects observed with the naked eye.
For now, the system can adapt to the environment in which the predominant colours are green and yellow. "These colours are common in Brazil and Asian countries. We are working on expanding the palette. In countries where nature and landscape is much more diverse, for example, in India, there are six types of camouflage for each environment: jungle, desert, rocky areas above a few thousand meters, and snow camouflage" - said Prof. Januszko.
The authors of the system want 1 sq cm of electrochromic windows to cost no more than 0.1 cents. For now, their system attracted interest in Brazil. The invention also received gold medal at the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition ITEX 2014 in Kuala Lumpur.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland, Ewelina Krajczyńska
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