April 29, 2004
Liquid Body Armor
Whoa.
Army scientists are working on a liquid body armor for clothing that stays flexible during normal use but can harden to stop a projectile when hit suddenly.
But like most innovation, the military application is only the beginning.
Wetzel and Wagner are optimistic the liquid body armor will be useful to local police and prison guards and perhaps it could one day protect people in automobile and airplane crashes.
Posted by: Ted at
04:54 PM | category: SciTech
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So, does it loosen up after the initial strike? liquid clothing that goes rigid and stays rigid won't help someone who has been shot and is trying to find cover. Just a thought.
Posted by: Punch Buggy at April 29, 2004 11:00 PM (aPgOT)
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I would assume so, because like you said, it wouldn't really be practical otherwise. From reading the article, it appears to work on some level like a car's seat belt mechanism: move at regular speed and everything works, move quickly enough (impact) and it locks tight.
Posted by: Ted at April 30, 2004 05:21 AM (ZjSa7)
3
and eventually, i see this kind of armor replacing space suits. imagine having a lightweight space suit that could easily repair itself, then get ready for giant steps (are what you take, walking on the moon).
Posted by: chris hall at April 30, 2004 09:32 AM (zH1Gw)
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I like thinking about the non-militant functions too. Batting vests for little league. Car upholstery (for car wrecks more than drive-bys). Work gloves for... hell, just about any job where you wear gloves. Protective blankets for construction. I really think that widespread use of armor in personal clothing and everyday items is going to be the next big technology change, now that information is out of the way. I think it will beat nano-technology (as an everyday item, not as a manufacturing component.)
Posted by: Phelps at April 30, 2004 02:48 PM (HlHi7)
5
That's
cool.
I wonder how this will work to protect joints. If the materials becomes stiffens when it becomes rigid, then snapping someone's arm or leg straight in a milisecond might be a really good way to snap aforementioned joint.
There might be a way to counterbalance the stiffness by using electrorehological fluids (ones that change viscocity when a current is passed through them). Basically as the material stiffens, one could up the voltage to increase viscocity and then slow down the stiffening response without affecting rigidity.
Beats me.
Posted by: Bravo Romeo Delta at April 30, 2004 06:38 PM (9X/fX)
6
BRD your understanding of electrorheological fluids is impressive. and the joint protection isn't anything i believe anyone has considered previously but warrants consideration. the relaxation (like the initial response) is essentially instantaneous once the stress is removed from the system so it likely poses less of a problem than may seems at first evident but is nevertheless an interesting view
Posted by: John Mayner at July 09, 2004 04:11 PM (emgn4)
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April 24, 2004
This reminds me, I need to mow the lawn
Buried in the jungles of Guatemala, excavations at Mayan ruins continue to
surprise archeologists with unsuspected data.
A team of U.S. and Guatemalan archeologists says it has discovered important Mayan monuments covered with texts from the ceremonial ball court at the Cancuen palace in northern Guatemala.
Cancuen, one of the largest Mayan palaces found so far, was built between 765 and 790 A.D. by King Taj Chan Ahk. It is located along the banks of the Passion River, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of the Guatemalan capital.
They've been exploring those ruins for over 100 years.
Posted by: Ted at
01:05 AM | category: SciTech
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Off topic: That is *the* coolest banner yet!
Posted by: Victor at April 24, 2004 07:56 AM (16A49)
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April 05, 2004
Like a kid on Christmas morning
A 1,000-ton barge rammed into a pier supporting an aging bridge over Florida's Apalachicola Bay last week, delighting civil engineers, who plan to ram it a dozen more times.
Depending on your job, it isn't often that you get real-life data to work with. These structural engineers are loving life right now, getting to study the effects of bridge and boat collisions. With the goal of improving national construction standards, of course. I watch NASCAR for the racing too.
When stationed in Germany as part of the US Air Force, I'd heard that the runways at Ramstein AB were going to be redone. Part of the plan was to let pilots blow hell out of things with live ordnance (great training), followed by Prime Beef teams repairing the runways afterwards (more great training). This was supposed to go on for some time as aircrews were rotated in for the chance to actually blow something up for real.
I transferred back to the States before that happened. Did it? If it did, I bet it was a great show.
Posted by: Ted at
02:26 PM | category: SciTech
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