Apr. 8, 2015 | By Simon
It should come with little surprise that some of the best product designs and technologies in existence are based off of the principles of biomimicry - which is defined as “an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies.” After all, the complexities involved with creating connected systems within the natural environment that are able to thrive and replenish on their own couldn’t be built by man, so why not take inspiration from the source?
Among others who have looked towards nature for inspiration in developing new technologies are groups of researchers from both the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), led by mechanical engineer Stephan Rudykh.
Together, the teams have developed a new way of thinking about body armor that enables soldiers to move freely and with little added weight, but is still capable of stopping bullets and shrapnel. Of all things, the armor is inspired by fish scales and is able to be fabricated easily thanks to the capabilities of additive manufacturing.
“Many species of fish are flexible, but they are also protected by hard scales,” said Rudykh.
“Taking inspiration from nature, we tried to replicate this protecto-flexibility by combining two layers of materials – one soft for flexibility and the other with armor-like scales. The secret behind this material is in the combination and design of hard scales above with soft, flexible tissue below.”
Previously, we’ve seen similar efforts being made towards creating 3D printed fish scale-like structures from Ranajay Ghosh, an associate research scientist at the College of Engineering at Northeastern University.
Using an Objet Eden 333 3D printer, Ghosh and his team were successfully able to create samples of scale-inspired 3D print samples from ABS plastic and then used VPS silicone for the secondary soft layer. What they found was that the structure allowed both freedom of movement while being flexed while simultaneously being capable of obstructing blunt blows.
Now, Rudykh and his team at MIT have received financial backing for Soldier Nanotechnologies from the United States Army to further develop the fish scale-inspired armor into usable products that can actually be worn in the field rather than being tested in the ‘safe’ lab environment.
In addition to being able be customized on a person-by-person basis, the armor structure itself can be fine-tuned according to the needs of a specific soldier. For example, a soldier who only needs partial-body coverage could use parts of the armor to cover those areas or a soldier who needs more full-body coverage could simply add more based on need. Ultimately, it allows for both a modular setup as well as a flexible setup.
Some military historians might be quick to note that scale-inspired armor is not a new concept - armies from Europe to Asia wore it in various epic battles throughout history. However the weight of the armor - often crafted from metal - left much to be desired, especially for today’s fast-moving military operations.
“This work is part of a revolution in materials properties,” added Rudykh.
“Once we can gain control over a material’s micro properties, using 3D printing we can create materials of an entirely different type, each with the ability to be adjusted to fit the wearer, the need, and the environment.”
Although the armor is still currently in its testing stages, it will ultimately come down to being a full circle for body armor innovations if it truly ends up being worn on the field. From the ancient battles of Asia to the modern warfare and humanitarian efforts we see today, all of it comes back to a design that was perfected by nature.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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