University of Michigan engineers have created a flexible screen that stores and displays encrypted images using magnetic fields. Inspired by squid, this innovation could revolutionize how information is securely displayed on various devices.
Engineers at the University of Michigan have unveiled a flexible screen inspired by squid, capable of storing and displaying encrypted images using magnetic fields instead of traditional electronics. This cutting-edge research, published in Advanced Materials, promises new applications in areas such as clothing, ID badges and e-book readers where conventional light and power sources are impractical.
“It’s one of the first times where mechanical materials use magnetic fields for system-level encryption, information processing and computing. And unlike some earlier mechanical computers, this device can wrap around your wrist,” Joerg Lahann, the Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering and co-corresponding author of the study, said in a news release.
The extraordinary screen can display a public image when near a standard magnet or reveal a private, encrypted image when placed over an intricate array of magnets acting as an encryption key. This innovation eliminates the risk of hacking associated with electronic codes and devices.
“This device can be programmed to show specific information only when the right keys are provided. And there is no code or electronics to be hacked,” Abdon Pena-Francesch, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at U-M and co-corresponding author, said in the news release. “This could also be used for color-changing surfaces, for example, on camouflaged robots.”
Key to this technology is the way the screen’s “pixels,” tiny beads containing magnetic particles, flip between orange and white in response to magnetic fields. When exposed to a magnetic field, these beads change their orientation, creating the necessary color contrast to form an image. The screen’s magnetic properties make it act like an Etch-A-Sketch, erasing the display when shaken but allowing it to recreate the image under the influence of a magnetic field.
The research team drew inspiration from nature, particularly from the color-changing capabilities of squids and octopi.
“If you make the beads too small, the changes in color become too small to see,” added first author Zane Zhang, a U-M doctoral student in materials science and engineering. “The squid’s pigment sacs have optimized size and distribution to give high contrast, so we adapted our device’s pixels to match their size.”
The polarization of the beads can be fine-tuned using different types of magnetic particles. For a single public image, multiple encrypted images can be revealed using unique magnetic keys, adding an additional layer of security.
The researchers have submitted an invention disclosure for the device with the help of U-M Innovation Partnerships. The potential applications of this technology are vast, from secure information display to adaptable camouflage on robotics.