Scientists are Developing “Chameleon” Paint that Changes Colors

If one day you’re feeling magenta and the next you feel more green, fear not — you can change the color of your wall paint with a remote control.

Decorating the inside of a house can be a stressful task. Should the parlor be painted peach? Or maybe periwinkle? Combing through handfuls of color palettes to decide on the perfect hue isn’t easy, but in the future, you won’t have to commit to just one color. Scientists in China are developing “Chameleon” paint to help ease the design process and give you the snazziest house on the block.

The color-changing paint transforms according to the weather as well as your personal command. With the touch of a smartphone, you can control how the color changes based on your mood or current activities. Some of the options in the smartphone app include “relax, concentrate, energize, and reading.”

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The researchers at the Shenzen Institute of Advanced Technology are now able to produce several liters of the magical paint per day using nanotechnology. Controllable nano cells in the paint can be inflated or deflated in order to deflect light at different wavelengths, producing an array of wonderful colors to see. But how does the paint react to weather or remote control? Each nano cell contains a metal core, so when an electric current passes through, the cell shrinks and pulls its shell inward. Same goes for when the cells react to a temperature change.

So imagine that when the crisp November chill sweeps in, reminding you of the brutal winter ahead that you’re not mentally prepared for, your walls brighten up the mood with psychedelic shifts in color hues. Or if you’re throwing a sophisticated dinner party where those vibrant purples won’t match the professional vibes, whip out your smartphone and calm it down to a cool beige via remote control.

“Imagine a house that will cheer you up with a bright color when it rains,” Dr. Du Xuemin, the lead scientist of the project, told the South China Morning Post. “Imagine the fun of instantly changing the color of everything, from the wall to the floor to the furniture, just by swiping a smartphone."

Xuemin says that, in his conservative estimate, his product will be hitting the shelves within three years. There are still factors that need to be smoothed out before the Chameleon paint can be mass-produced. But the color-changing paint will undoubtedly transform DIY interior designing and make our lives a lot more colorful.