From YouTube to Market
August 1st, 2006 by Grant in: TechnologyBack in June I posted a video on a new “liquid armor” technology that could protect our soldiers better than Kevlar, causing bullets to bounce off the protected clothing, and even protecting against puncture wounds from knives bomb fragments.
Well, it appears that the technology wasted no time in cyberspace, as the rights to use it were acquired by Armor Holdings (AH: chart, web) back in February.
The composite goo solidifies on impact, but then returns to a semi-fluid state once the kinetic energy is dissipated. Coating a Kevlar with the material leaves the resulting garment more flexible and easier to wear, and also offers a significant weight advantage to traditional bullet-proof vests.
Armor Holdings wants to produce new garments for as little as $500 a piece, making the old vests not only obsolete in functionality, but also cost.
This weeks BusinessWeek has a feature article on the technology and the acquisition by Armor Holdings.
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August 1st, 2006 at 12:52 pm
That is by far the coolest stuff I’ve seen in a long time. We need to get this stuff out to the troops as fast as possible. I wonder if they’ll sell this tech. to civilians too? Jamie
August 2nd, 2006 at 6:27 pm
Grant, that technology has been around longer than you indicate, it’s just now making its way to the public eye.
Beyond the technology mentioned in your blog, the military is set to reap some great rewards from academia.
Nice blog!
Steve
August 2nd, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Jamie, I’m not sure of a direct application this stuff would have in the civilian world, but I agree it’s a great new technology for our soldiers on the battlefield.
Thanks for the kind words, Steve. Sounds like you have a link between the military and the academic world?