Active camouflage

Photograph of a camouflaged cuttlefish
Cephalopod molluscs such as this cuttlefish can change color rapidly for signaling or to match their backgrounds.

Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage is camouflage that adapts, often rapidly, to the surroundings of an object such as an animal or military vehicle. In theory, active camouflage could provide perfect concealment from visual detection.[1]

Active camouflage occurs in several groups of animals, including reptiles on land, and cephalopod molluscs and flatfish in the sea. Animals achieve active camouflage both by color change and (among marine animals such as squid) by counter-illumination, with the use of bioluminescence.

Military counter-illumination camouflage was first investigated during World War II for marine use. More recent research has aimed to achieve crypsis by using cameras to sense the visible background, and by controlling systems that can vary their appearance, such as coatings, or variable temperature infrared panels using the Peltier effect.

  1. ^ McKee, Kent W.; Tack, David W. (February 2007). Active Camouflage for Infantry Headwear Applications (PDF) (Report). Humansystems. pp. iii. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012.

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