Cephalopods, such as squid, cuttlefish, and octopuses, use an array of responsive absorptive and photonic dermal structures to achieve rapid and reversible color changes for spectacular camouflage and signaling displays. Challenges remain in designing synthetic soft materials with similar multiple and dynamic responsivity for the development of optical sensors for the sensitive detection of mechanical stresses and strains. Here, a high dynamic range mechano‐imaging (HDR‐MI) polymeric material integrating physical and chemical mechanochromism is designed providing a continuous optical read‐out of strain upon mechanical deformation. By combining a colloidal photonic array with a mechanically responsive dye, the material architecture significantly improves the mechanochromic sensitivity, which is moreover readily tuned, and expands the range of detectable strains and stresses at both microscopic and nanoscopic length scales. This multi‐functional material is highlighted by creating detailed HDR mechanographs of membrane deformation and around defects using a low‐cost hyperspectral camera, which is found to be in excellent agreement with the results of finite element simulations. This multi‐scale approach to mechano‐sensing and ‐imaging provides a platform to develop mechanochromic composites with high sensitivity and high dynamic mechanical range.

中文翻译：

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头足类动物启发的高分子材料高动态范围机械成像

鱿鱼，乌贼和章鱼等头足类动物使用一系列响应性吸收性和光子性真皮结构，以实现快速且可逆的颜色变化，从而实现壮观的伪装和信号显示。在开发具有相似的多重和动态响应度的合成软材料以开发用于敏感检测机械应力和应变的光学传感器方面仍然存在挑战。在这里，设计了一种结合了物理和化学机械致变色的高动态范围机械成像（HDR-MI）聚合材料，可在机械变形时提供连续的光学应变读数。通过将胶体光子阵列与机械响应性染料相结合，材料结构可显着提高机械致变色灵敏度，而且该灵敏度易于调整，并扩展了微观和纳米长度尺度的可检测应变和应力范围。通过使用低成本的高光谱相机创建详细的膜变形和缺陷周围的HDR机械图，可以突出显示这种多功能材料，该材料与有限元模拟的结果非常吻合。这种多尺度的机械感测和成像方法为开发具有高灵敏度和高动态机械范围的机械变色复合材料提供了平台。发现与有限元模拟的结果非常吻合。这种多尺度的机械感测和成像方法为开发具有高灵敏度和高动态机械范围的机械变色复合材料提供了平台。发现与有限元模拟的结果非常吻合。这种多尺度的机械感测和成像方法为开发具有高灵敏度和高动态机械范围的机械变色复合材料提供了平台。