Octopus-Inpired Multicamouflage Smart Fabric by Dynamic-Bond-Based Hydrochromic Artificial Muscle

In nature, many animals protect themselves through deformation, discoloration, and infrared concealment to achieve multiple forms of camouflage. Camouflage fabrics designed for deserts and rainforests have vastly different requirements for color, breathability, and infrared emission. However, the development of corresponding smart fabrics remains a significant challenge. In this work, a novel dynamic-bond-controlled hygro-responsive hydrochromic wool fiber artificial muscle, inspired by the octopuses, has been developed, which used to construct a smart multi-camouflage fabric that integrates deformation, allochromasia, and infrared concealment. The obtained fabric exhibits a green color in humid environments (rainforests), with large pores for perspiration. In a dry environment (deserts), the fabric contracts and changes to akhaki color, while the reduction in pore size enhances infrared shielding. As the relative humidity increases from 20% to 100%, the average pore size of multi-camouflage smart fabric decreases by ∼84%, minimizing the radiative temperature difference between 36 °C target. This results in a temperature reduction of 5.2 °C for the target. The hydrochromic artificial muscle is also employed to develop smart fabrics that mimic octopus-like behaviors. With its biocompatible, biodegradable, high thermal insulation, and comfortable wearability, the dynamic-bond-based multifunctional muscle fabric opens up additional possibilities for smart textiles, information technology, and artificial intelligence.