Design of a new padding that protects more against impacts

I have read that a team of engineers at the University of Colorado (in Boulder, USA) has developed a new padding design that offers exceptional protection against strong impacts, while being flexible and adaptable for a variety of applications.

If we take into account the enormous amount of protection that we use in various activities of daily life (riding a bicycle, motorcycle, doing contact sports, etc.), this advance has the potential to give an important boost to the industry. personal protection, and open new possibilities in various fields.

The new padding is based on a unique cellular structure that mimics the structure of human bones. The cells are composed of a flexible but resistant material that can absorb and dissipate the energy of an impact. The cellular structure also allows the padding to flex and conform to different shapes, making it ideal for a wide range of applications.

The material has a number of key characteristics:

• Shock absorption: Padding can absorb and dissipate energy from strong impacts, protecting the user from injury.
• Flexibility: The padding flexes and adapts to different shapes, making it comfortable and versatile.
• Adaptability: Modular design allows customizing padding for different applications.
• Lightweight: The padding is lightweight and portable, making it ideal for use in a variety of environments.

The new padding has the potential to be used in a wide range of applications, including:

• Personal protective equipment: It can be used in helmets, and other protective equipment to protect users from injuries in sports, leisure activities, and high-risk jobs.
• Packaging: It can be used to protect fragile products during transport.

Below you can see a video of how the material is compressed under pressure, and how it is fully recovered: https://youtu.be/C0c9fvSemaU

Currently, different types of foams are used to carry out these protective activities, but in general the foams compress when they are subjected to traction, and generally afterwards they do not completely recover their original shape again, which is what happens with this new product.

There is still no data on the possible costs of this new material, but I believe that this new development can be very interesting to continue improving the safety of people and things.

Hopefully we will see it soon on the market at competitive prices.