I can probably pull off my shelf a good dozen tales that include armor that’s flexible to wear but that stiffens/hardens/protects when impacted.
And now we’re beginning to actually see stuff like that hit the market — in sporting supplies.
Based on a complex elastomeric compound discovered and developed at the University of Hertfordshire, d3o is a shear-thickening material. It is soft and flexible when moved slowly, but when it is moved fast — for example, when compressed by an impact — its molecules lock together. The material stiffens, absorbing the impact.
d3o Labs has incorporated it into a soft foam matrix, and Richard Palmer, d3o Labs’ chief executive, has devised a striking party piece to demonstrate its properties: donning a long-sleeved T-shirt with d3o panels sewn into the sleeves, he slams his elbow into the tabletop as hard as he can. Cups rattle, liquids slosh and winces are guaranteed.
The material has vast potential in the protective clothing market, said Palmer. “We don’t like to call it armour, because that implies rigidity. This is a soft, flexible material, like padding, until you hit it. It provides the same level of protection performance as a rigid, sacrificial form, like a bicycle helmet, but it also provides comfort. It?s the first material that combines freedom of movement with impact protection, and it represents a step change in the design philosophy behind these products.”
Cool.
(via GeekPress)