Protection

Sports helmets usually receive impacts at an angle, with the resulting twisting of the head potentially causing brain injuries to the wearer. Now, scientists have developed something to help keep that from happening – a sticker.​

While it's important for all of us to stay hydrated, it's particularly important for athletes. That's why a Virginia-based startup has created SMRT Mouth. It's a mouthguard that measures the wearer's hydration levels, and alerts coaches if they're getting too low.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego are taking inspiration from nature in the search for new materials that could one day be used to create body armor. The study, supported by the US Air Force, focuses on the unique structure and strength of the shell of the boxfish.

Armored vehicles aren't typically the most luxurious, what with safety rather taking precedence. Vehicle conversion firm Lexani, however, has shown that this need not be the case. Its new B6-armored Toyota Land Cruiser both affords protection and boasts a host of fancy features.

A tornado hitting your house is no joke, but a new tornado panel developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) could help. UAB's panels can be retrofitted to existing houses and offer protection in 250 mph (402 km/h) winds.

Agua is a quick-draw camera carrier which is designed to be used in severe weather conditions. The carrier, which also doubles as a carry strap, has already exceeded its funding target on Kickstarter.

Soldiers may one day protect themselves from blasts by wallpapering temporary shelters. It may not be very decorative, but the new ballistic wallpaper under development by the US Army Corps of Engineers uses a special fiber inlay to help prevent walls from collapsing under blast effects.

BMW Motorrad and Alpinestars have just launched an exclusive partnership to develop airbag safety clothing. The first product from the pairing will be a motorcycle jacket equipped with an airbag waistcoat based on Alpinestars' Tech-Air airbag technology.

A team from Northwestern University has developed a new material capable of neutralizing nerve gases. The zirconium-based NU-1000 is not only useful not only disposing of stockpiles of such toxins, but also for use in gas masks and protective suits for soldiers and rescue workers.

On most fish, their hard, overlapping scales provide protection against pokes and cuts. Because those scales are attached to a flexible skin, however, the fish are still able to easily twist their bodies. Scientists are now attempting to copy that structure, to develop flexible-yet-effective armor.

Even the most dedicated bicycle commuter could be forgiven for taking a look at the weather outside every now and then, and deciding to drive the car to work instead. LeafxPro aims to cater for such occasions with what's most easily described as an umbrella for your bike.

Researchers at Northeastern University’s College of Engineering believe that fish scales could hold the key to creating armor that's both impervious and lightweight. They eventually aim to combine the properties of fish, snake and butterfly scales into a single protective armor system.