• U.S. Army Funds Body Armour Inspired by Fish Scales
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[QUOTE] Fish scales are serving as the inspiration for a new type of body armour funded by the U.S. Army. [URL="http://rudykh.technion.ac.il/files/2015/03/rudykhetal15softmatter.pdf?con&dom=pscau&src=syndication"]American and Israeli researchers[/URL] have produced prototypes of the armour, which mimics the overlapping layers of hard scales and soft tissues found in certain fish, using 3D printers. The synthetic body armour combines an upper layer of stiff plates with a flexible lower matrix. Preliminary testing shows that by making subtle alterations to the material, its resistance to penetration can be increased by a factor of 40 whilst flexibility is reduced by less than a factor of five. [URL="http://www.newsweek.com/trial"]Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week [/URL] The armour will now face extensive testing with bullets and fast-moving projectiles. As well as military uses, it could also be used to protect astronauts from radiation and micro-meteorites when conducting spacewalks. Researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were led by Professor Stephan Rudykh of the Technion. “Many species of fish are flexible, but they are also protected by hard scales,”[URL="http://www.ats.org/news/tough-fish-scale-like-material-with-soft-flexibility-could-protect-soldiers-astronauts/"]said Rudykh[/URL]. “The secret behind this material is in the combination and design of hard scales above with soft, flexible tissue below.” The U.S. Army Research Office backed the research through the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, suggesting that the armour was being developed for future use in combat situations. The flexibility of the armour can be fine-tuned according to need, meaning that full-body suits with more supple areas around joints to enhance the wearer’s ease of movement. [/QUOTE] [url]http://www.newsweek.com/us-army-funds-body-armour-inspired-fish-scales-320377[/url]
The chinese did this thousands of years ago iirc Used paper folded over so many times that it could stop a crossbow bolt
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;47522998]The chinese did this thousands of years ago iirc Used paper folded over so many times that it could stop a crossbow bolt[/QUOTE] Europeans did this before with metal. It's called scale mail. It's not a new concept, we're just moving back around in the circle of armor types with all of our new materials.
We're getting lessons on how to be bullet proof from fish now? That doesn't seem like a very sensible plan [sp]What's wrong with the Dragonskin vest?[/sp]
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;47522998]The chinese did this thousands of years ago iirc Used paper folded over so many times that it could stop a crossbow bolt[/QUOTE] This is unrelated, this is more along the lines oh an inverted jack of plates.
So they intend to combine kevlar-style composite armour with the ancient ways of scale mail? Pretty neat.
So basically Dragonskin but hopefully not a piece of shit. Some of you might have seen it on Discovery Channel's Future Weapons. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv4eITpKoro[/media] [IMG]https://soldiercitizen.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/dragon20skin20armor.jpg[/IMG] Dragonskin was very successful in terms of protection WHEN it held together. Turned out that when exposed to high temperatures (like those found in a desert) or extreme cold, the glue holding the little discs together wouldn't hold together and ballistic protection would be compromised. If the vest were damaged, it would be very hard to find out which discs would need to be replaced. It's also heavier than a vest with ESAPI plates and more expensive. You can see the report here: [URL]http://www.defense.gov/dodcmsshare/briefingslide/304/070521-d-6570c-001.pdf[/URL]
Heh, like shooting fish in a barrel.
fish have body armor?
[QUOTE=sYnced;47523753]fish have body armor?[/QUOTE] its why you dont fish with guns
It's interesting to note that there's a rather good chunk of material engineering, and design dedicated to replicating and reproducing synthetic forms of natural materials. For instance, wood and other fibres have been the inspiration for a wide range of and fibre like material because of how good they are. The only reason wood is not used extensively is due to the fact that different cuts at different times of day in different conditions will have different properties.
I'm really interested in it's performance in a live-test. Still I wonder how good it competes in comparison to polands liquid armor.
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;47522998]The chinese did this thousands of years ago iirc Used paper folded over so many times that it could stop a crossbow bolt[/QUOTE] Baka gaijin glorious nippon steel... yadda yadda yadda. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("This reply is not about the thread topic" - verynicelady))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=sYnced;47523753]fish have body armor?[/QUOTE] Alligator gars are pretty much alligator proof.
[QUOTE=Forumaster;47526087]Baka gaijin glorious nippon steel... yadda yadda yadda.[/QUOTE] except not japanese or steel
[QUOTE=Forumaster;47526087]Baka gaijin glorious nippon steel... yadda yadda yadda.[/QUOTE] Paper armor actually was a thing. How much it was used, I can't say, but it was a thing. He's not joking. Anyway, this is really cool. It'd certainly be more interesting to see soldiers in battle covered in scale/lamellar armor. [editline]14th April 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=27X;47526104]Alligator gars are pretty much alligator proof.[/QUOTE] Alligator gars are fucking weird and amazing fish.
The real question is can I still get Spartan kicked in the chest with it on and still not feel a thing.
It will be like Legend of Galactic Heroes, armor so advanced, that you end up using axes and swords again. And thus the age of the Space Knights begins
[QUOTE=StrykerE;47523139]So basically Dragonskin but hopefully not a piece of shit. Some of you might have seen it on Discovery Channel's Future Weapons. Dragonskin was very successful in terms of protection WHEN it held together. Turned out that when exposed to high temperatures (like those found in a desert) or extreme cold, the glue holding the little discs together wouldn't hold together and ballistic protection would be compromised. If the vest were damaged, it would be very hard to find out which discs would need to be replaced. It's also heavier than a vest with ESAPI plates and more expensive. You can see the report here: [URL]http://www.defense.gov/dodcmsshare/briefingslide/304/070521-d-6570c-001.pdf[/URL][/QUOTE] I don't think it's really fair to call it a "piece of shit" when it was better under certain circumstances. A huge percentage of fighting at the moment goes on around the middle east so I can understand the army not wanting it but that doesn't necessarily make it bad, just situational. The weight is a bit rough though
[QUOTE=Elspin;47528292]I don't think it's really fair to call it a "piece of shit" when it was better under certain circumstances. A huge percentage of fighting at the moment goes on around the middle east so I can understand the army not wanting it but that doesn't necessarily make it bad, just situational. The weight is a bit rough though[/QUOTE] It weighs over 60% more than the current suit, and has a higher adverse condition failure rate(which are easily achievable when in storage bins or if you had it left outside, or a diesel fuel spill) due to it's material usage and construction, along with extremely high maintenance costs due to the individual extremely brittle plates. I'd take an interceptor or a tac vest from bao with their level 4 plates over dragonskin any day.
[QUOTE=deadoon;47528306]It weighs over 60% more than the current suit, and has a higher adverse condition failure rate(which are easily achievable when in storage bins or if you had it left outside, or a diesel fuel spill) due to it's material usage and construction, along with extremely high maintenance costs due to the individual extremely brittle plates. I'd take an interceptor or a tac vest from bao with their level 4 plates over dragonskin any day.[/QUOTE] IMO none of those things can possibly considered to make it "shit" if it has a proven to be higher chance of saving your life. The weight may be higher but if it's for a purpose other than army you might not have too much other gear and you should definitely be fit enough anyway that it won't wear you down significantly. As for the adverse conditions - why are you treating your $5000 bulletproof vest like a backpack? Leaving it lying around outside is a bad idea and there are plenty of places where storing a vest in relatively cool conditions to 50C is not difficult in the slightest. The bottom line is if it's better at the whole purpose of the armour, even if it has more disadvantages it can be useful. I didn't say anywhere I thought the army should switch to it or anything silly like that, just that it seems a bit unfair to call it "shit"
[QUOTE=urbanmonkey;47526329]except not japanese or steel[/QUOTE] Glorious Sino paper; folded over a thousand times
[QUOTE=Elspin;47528955]IMO none of those things can possibly considered to make it "shit" if it has a proven to be higher chance of saving your life. The weight may be higher but if it's for a purpose other than army you might not have too much other gear and you should definitely be fit enough anyway that it won't wear you down significantly. As for the adverse conditions - why are you treating your $5000 bulletproof vest like a backpack? Leaving it lying around outside is a bad idea and there are plenty of places where storing a vest in relatively cool conditions to 50C is not difficult in the slightest. The bottom line is if it's better at the whole purpose of the armour, even if it has more disadvantages it can be useful. I didn't say anywhere I thought the army should switch to it or anything silly like that, just that it seems a bit unfair to call it "shit"[/QUOTE] Pretty sure Dragon Skin failed to stop shots that didn't hit dead on too, they'd just dive under and between the scales, which was a problem with scale armour in the past as well. All those publicized tests of Dragon Skin were done in a best case scenario fashion, which is rarely the case in the real world. Really, scale armour was something for rich nobles and officers who didn't do any actual fighting and just wanted to look important and flashy, it was expensive back then too. Note I'm not referring to Lamellar which is something completely different.
[QUOTE=Elspin;47528955]IMO none of those things can possibly considered to make it "shit" if it has a proven to be higher chance of saving your life. The weight may be higher but if it's for a purpose other than army you might not have too much other gear and you should definitely be fit enough anyway that it won't wear you down significantly. As for the adverse conditions - why are you treating your $5000 bulletproof vest like a backpack? Leaving it lying around outside is a bad idea and there are plenty of places where storing a vest in relatively cool conditions to 50C is not difficult in the slightest. The bottom line is if it's better at the whole purpose of the armour, even if it has more disadvantages it can be useful. I didn't say anywhere I thought the army should switch to it or anything silly like that, just that it seems a bit unfair to call it "shit"[/QUOTE] Weighing over 60% more and failing to provide the same level of protection after going through the same testing as the current armor or any armor with the marks it claimed to have and failed to receive. It was purchased originally due to it claimed to have a certification, and was found to have not received it yet. It only works better in perfect world circumstances, and fails miserably under anything outside it. The company has gone bankrupt and the armor requires many smaller proprietary ceramic plates that only the original manufacturer made. Every other armor manufacturer has made replacement plates that can fit an interceptor like vest. Those replacements are everything from high hardness ceramics(very common, and variable quality from basic mil-spec to 10X the minimum passing requirements) to plates of face hardened steel with spall liners(AR500 brand cheap level 3 plates, very durable but somewhat heavy). Each one able to gain certification that they claim. All while weighing less that a dragon skin type vest. The major flaw of dragon skin type vests was the fact that the individual pockets for plates would rip open and cause cascade failures due to long stitch patterns. This would make plates shift out of place after or even before the first shot hit and leave successive shots able to penetrate. This occurred when the material was stressed under constant use(Putting on/taking off) or adverse conditions. Long term storage did not affect it. A standard plate carrier/combined vest will not suffer from that flaw, they use a large plate that is required by standards to stop several rounds before failing. This large plate is easy to replace with a lighter or heavier one of several different approved brands and distributes the force of a bullet far better than the small ceramic disks of the dragon skin simply due to a larger area behind it do distribute it to. From a realistic perspective, they are deceptive in their portrayal of product at the very least. Outright lying about the certifications it had. It's testing and introduction was akin to how the M16 first was introduced.
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