New "MorphoChrome" software from MIT helps users create iridescent designs that can be applied to everyday items using a handheld device. The hardware “paints” with multi-color light onto holographic film, which can be applied to 3D-printed objects or flexible substrates.

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MIT researchers developed MorphoChrome, a system that replicates nature's structural color (like peacock feathers and opals) for everyday objects. The handheld device uses RGB lasers to "paint" iridescent designs onto holographic film, which can then be transferred to 3D-printed objects or flexible materials like gloves and jewelry using an epoxy resin process. Users select colors through software, and the device exposes photopolymer film at different rates (green in 2.5 seconds, blue in 6 seconds). Applications include training equipment, decorative items, and potential future uses in authentication holograms and robotic camouflage.

A new way to “paint with light” to create radiant, color-changing items