color-changing
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Color-changing bandages detect and treat drug-resistant infections
It may sound dramatic, but antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it's urgent that we change the way we prescribe and use antibiotics. One approach might be to use bandages that sense and treat bacterial infections, even when the pathogen shows resistance. In a paper published by ACS Central Science, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Science explain how they've developed a way to do just that.
Color-changing smart skin gets an upgrade thanks to chameleons
Color-changing smart skin is nothing new, but scientists have had a hard time working out the kinks. Current smart skin is fragile and buckles after being exposed to varying temperatures. To help remedy that problem, scientists turned to analyzing detailed videos of chameleons' skin. This helped them develop a far more resilient take on this tech, which shows a more promising future for color-changing gear.
Color-changing fibers make compression bandages easier to use
Pressure bandages are typically used to treat medical issues around veins that don't return enough blood from your legs or arms. Compression stockings, for example, can help stimulate blood flow, but there's no way to know if the pressure being applied is optimal for the specific condition. Engineers at MIT have developed color-changing fibers that can be woven into pressure bandages to help solve this problem: the fibers change color according to how much the bandage is stretched.
Light-sensitive clothing takes us back to the 'hypercolor' era
1991 was a turbulent year -- the internet first arrived to the public, Arnold bid us "Hasta la Vista, baby" and the hypercolor fad swept the nation. Yes, those were the garments that changed hue from body heat, thanks to a combination of so-called leuco dyes and inappropriate touching. Mercifully, the craze died quickly because of insurmountable problems; namely the colors stopped changing after a few trips through the wash and it was just kind of gross. Now a company called The Crated is trying to reincarnate the best part of hypercolor -- the color changing -- with a line of clothing called Photochromia.
Toshiba Dynabook Qosmio T750 laptop has a lid that changes color on both sides
It's been a long time since we used a laptop that had a monochromatic display -- it was a giant white block of a thing that is not missed -- but flip around just about every laptop we use today and you find a backside that stubbornly refuses to change color no matter the light that hits it. Is that a problem? Not really, we think it's quite fine since we're not often staring at that bit, but for Toshiba such tedium simply won't do, so it's introducing the Dynabook Qosmio T750 with a color-shifting lid. Turn it in the light and it shifts and shimmers, just like the chameleon paint tuners have been using on custom rides for decades. Here, though, we're told it's done with multiple layers of film, no paint at all. Oh, the inside? A 2.66GHz Intel Core i5-480M, 4GB of DDR 3 memory, and a 15.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display that's LED backlit -- which is also capable of displaying multiple colors, in case you're interested.
Inventors develop transistor to change color of any surface, your face notwithstanding
Color shifting has been a pipe dream for about as long as alchemists have claimed their studies to be legitimate, but now a brilliant team from the New University of Lisbon can finally say a breakthrough has been found. Essentially, these inventors have conjured up a transistor that changes the color of practically any surface (paper, glass, plastics, ceramics and metals, just to name a few). For what it's worth, this same team already has quite a bit of display cred, as it has developed technology currently used within Samsung panels. With the help of a few good men and woman at the University of Texas at Austin, the team was able to register for a patent right here in the US, and with any luck, they'll be giving OLEDs and e-paper a run for their money before we can snap our fingers twice and run around the block. Check a video (narrated in Portuguese) after the break.[Thanks, Nelson]
France's Eurovia aims to make roads change color to warn of ice
While there's already GPS systems out there that'll give drivers some indication of road conditions, French company Eurovia is aiming to provide some warnings that are decidedly more real-time, with it now testing a process that'll actually change the color of roads as the temperature dips into freezing territory. That's, of course, not an entirely new process (we've already seen spoons that change color based on temperature), but Eurovia is apparently fine tuning things to hold up to the wear and tear it'll see on roads, and working to ensure that it turns color early enough so the salt trucks can be deployed before the roads get too dicey. While there's no word as to when we might see a wide-scale deployment, the company did test it with five patches over a 50 kilometer stretch of road in France this winter, and it sees no shortage of benefits to the technology in the future, adding that it could also be used to warn pedestrians to watch their steps on sidewalks.[Via Autoblog]
Paramagnetic paint lets you change your car's color on a whim
Sure, the whole "temporary vehicle paint" idea was a fine concept if you adored hassles, but Nissan scientists at TK have a much cleaner approach for those who appreciate easy. The effect is paint color change at the press of a button, and the secret is a "special polymer containing paramagnetic iron oxide particles," which is applied to the whip's exterior; an "applied electric current then adjusts the spacing of small crystals within the iron oxide particles, and therefore affects their ability to reflect light and change color." Essentially, vehicles could rock a default color when turned off, and then your imagination could go wild once you turned over the ignition. If all goes well, expect to see commercial applications ready to roll by the time Fast and the Furious: 10 Times 2 Many hits theaters (or 2010, whichever comes first).[Via Autoblog]Update: Sounds like Nissan expressed some interest and / or viewed a demo of the tech, but isn't actually the developer. Quite in fact, we're not entirely sure which scientists claimed to have developed this tech in the first place, but we'll let you know if more details become available.
Heat-sensitive spoons designed for better cooking
Who among us has not been thwarted by the microwave at some point -- constantly having to heat and reheat, trying to get our food at that perfect temperature. While some take the smart appliance approach, those who enjoy a low-tech aesthetic might be interested in The Added Touch's color changing spoons. Each one is heat-sensitive and adjusts hue when your food reaches 120 degrees F, indicating that it is ready. While being the only color changing spoon we have seen that didn't come in a cereal box, it might also be the only one in our dish rack that doesn't melt or get to sparking when left in the ol' nuker.[Via Core77]
