Armor

Researchers at LANL have hit upon a microstructure with impressive shock absorption. The team 3D-printed cubes with fractal void patterns inside them, which could be a useful structure for new materials in helmets, armor and other protective items.

Scientists at Texas A&M University have figured out a way to supercharge boron carbide armor's already impressive stopping abilities, adding a little silicon to the mix so that it can withstand bullets traveling at even higher speeds.

Although the bulletproof shields used by police officers are definitely life-savers, the things are also quite heavy and bulky. The origami-inspired Swift Shield offers an alternative, as it folds down into a lightweight package when not in use.

When it comes to body armor, there's typically a trade-off – it can either be highly impact-resistant or flexible, but not both. That may not be the case for much longer, however, thanks to an experimental new material inspired by a mollusc.

AddArmor has wrapped an Audi RS7 with its special in-house paneling and ballistic glass to produce what it says is the fastest armored car in the world, with plenty of other tricks up its sleeve to stave off attacks.​​

​How do you stop bullets using the lightest material possible? Researchers working on this problem have developed a new type of bulletproof material comparable in performance to conventional armor, but with just half the weight. ​

In a recent US Army live fire exercise, an automatic countermeasure system successfully deflected 15 out of 15 anti-tank guided missile attacks. The Lockheed Martin Modular Active Protection Systems detected incoming missiles and deflected them off target by jamming their guidance signals.

​When you think of lobsters and armor, the obvious connection would be their hard shells. An international team of scientists, however, is more interested in the flexible membrane on the underside of the crustaceans' tails. It has a unique structure, which could find uses in human technology.

BAE Systems and General Dynamics have been tapped by the US Army to each build 12 prototype medium-armor vehicles. Part of the development phase of the Mobile Protected Firepower program, the US$376-million contracts aim to develop an agile, multi-terrain platform for Infantry Brigade Combat Teams.

​While bullet-proof body armor does tend to be thick and heavy, that may no longer be the case if research being conducted at The City University of New York bears fruit. Scientists there have determined that two layers of stacked graphene can harden to a diamond-like consistency upon impact.

​Although sea shells of various types have been studied as sources of inspiration for impact-resistant manmade materials, the conch shell is known for being particularly tough. And while the reason was already understood, it hadn't been replicated using engineered materials – until now, that is.

A US Air Force Academy cadet turned a classroom exercise into a new ballistic armor made out of goo. Cadet 1st Class Hayley Weir's assignment to combine epoxy, Kevlar and carbon fiber into an anti-ballistic substance inspired her to develop a new flexible bullet stopper.