The robot uses colour to either stand out from its surroundings or blend in, as Stephen Morin from Harvard University describes here (Video produced by the journal Science)

A robot that can change colour to either blend in with or stand out from its surroundings has been created by scientists.

The machine, designed by researchers at Harvard University, was inspired by the camouflage skills of sea creatures such as octopuses, cuttlefish and squid.

Like these cephalopods, the robot has a soft, rubbery body and can move with flexibility.

The study is published in the journal Science.