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Artificial skin mimics the octopus’s art of disguise

A ‘photonic skin’ with controllable colour and texture brings materials science a step closer to the adaptive camouflage found in nature.
By
  1. Benjamin Renz

    1. Benjamin Renz is in the 2nd Physics Institute, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart 70569, Germany, and at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart 70569, Germany.

  2. Na Liu

    1. Na Liu is in the 2nd Physics Institute, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart 70569, Germany, and at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart 70569, Germany.

When an octopus changes its appearance, the transformation is instant and spectacular. Chromatophore pigment cells expand to alter the hue and brightness of the animal’s skin and muscle-controlled protrusions called papillae raise or flatten the surface to change its texture1. This dual, independent control over colour and texture creates one of the most sophisticated camouflage systems in the natural world. Writing in Nature, Doshi et al.2 report an artificial ‘photonic skin’ that performs a similar trick. Their soft polymer film can independently change both its colour and its surface topography, a feat that nature perfected long ago but has remained elusive in synthetic materials.

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Nature 649, 297-298 (2026)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-03984-8

References

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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