Clothes that change color could fit your style, and what makes the concept even more noteworthy is that you would only need to tap an app to do so.
That is the goal of researchers at the University of Central Florida, who are working to develop technology that allows consumers to shift the patterns and color schemes of their clothing and accessories by controlling an app from their mobile phones, The Orlando Sentinel reported.
At the moment, when we think about wearable technology, devices such as smart watches and fitness trackers spring to mind, but tech-infused fabric is opening up a new world of possibilities.
The idea is that thin metal wires that have electrical currents running through them are embedded into a garment's threads.
The wires are positioned in various patterns or sequences and, as the intensity of the current changes the wires temperatures, the color then alters.
This is not the first time researchers have experimented with color-changing fabrics.
Inspired by the octopus' ability to disguise itself, engineers and biologists have previously sought to make a thin, flexible fabric that can automatically match patterns, much like how the creature camouflages itself.
What separates the latest technology is that it can be controlled via a mobile app. Researchers have not yet figured out to get around the fact that the tech-infused fabric requires massive amounts of power to work.
"Although clothing has been a staple of the human experience for millennia, the basic structure and functionality of textile fibers and yarns have remained unchanged throughout history," Dr. Ayman Abouraddy, professor of optics and photonics at UCF, said in a news release.
"The capabilities of electronics constantly increase and we always expect more from our iPhones, so why haven’t textiles been updated? Can we expect an ever-expanding range of functionalities from our clothing?"
This, he said, was the basis for the development of the new technology which he described as "the next groundbreaking innovation in fashion and textiles."
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