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The Car That Changes Color

The BMW iX Flow can change from white to gray and back again.
Before After
© BMW AG

Click and drag the arrows to see how the car changes color.

From gray to green and everything in between, cars come in lots of colors. But now there’s a car that can actually change its hue. The BMW iX Flow can go from dark gray to white…or from white to dark gray, in the blink of an eye.

The iX Flow uses a technology that’s already used in screens on certain electronic devices. The entire vehicle is wrapped in a type of electronic paint called “E Ink.” When the driver of the iX Flow pushes a button, electronic signals are sent to the car’s surface, causing its color to change.

The technology is just a prototype, which means the iX Flow isn’t currently for sale. But color-changing cars may be part of our future. BMW says there are tons of possibilities for this type of technology. It could allow drivers to update their E Ink cars with new colors and patterns. They could even opt for racing stripes.

Are tie-dyed trucks and striped SUVs headed to some streets near you?
Green and gray dinosaur in swampy ground with trees in background

© Mark Garlick—Science Photo Library/Getty Images

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Fun Fact

Scientists think some dinosaurs, such as hadrosaurs, had different colors and patterns that blended in with the environment, making it harder for predators to find them.

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Why Do Zebras Have Stripes?

Learn how animals’ body colors and markings help them survive in the wild.
© Thomas Samantzis/Dreamstime.com

So Clever With Colors!

Two sea horses that are white and pink and blending into white and pink coral
© Stephen Frink—The Image Bank/Getty Images
What color is the pygmy seahorse? It depends on the occasion! The pygmy seahorse will blend in with coral to hide from predators or change its color to attract a mate.
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Can you find 10 words about Spring?
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Word of the Day

camouflage

Part of speech:
noun
Syllabic representation:
cam•ou•flage
Definition:
: something (such as color or shape) that protects an animal from attack by making the animal difficult to see in the area around it
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