A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
University of Texas at Dallas researchers have created a material made from nanofibers that can stretch to up to seven times its length while remaining tougher than Kevlar. Continue reading… “New stretchable structures tougher than bulletproof vests”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbmkGb5EH1c&hd=1[/youtube]
If you are worried about the safety rating of your child’s car seat maybe you should swaddle your child in a protective Kevlar cocoon. The Carkoon is a new child seat developed by British company Cool Technologies that wraps your child in protective Kevlar and a fireproof Nomex airbag upon impact. It even calls emergency services for you.
Continue reading… “Carkoon – car seat that envelops your child in a Kevlar cocoon upon impact”
A robot from the future is made entirely of liquid metal in the film “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”
A revolutionary new armor relies on a liquid that hardens when something hits it, promising unprecedented protection while letting soldiers move freely, unrestricted by bulk and weight.
Continue reading… “Revolutionary new liquid body armor hardens on impact”
Tornado-proof house
The tornado-proof house is a Kevlar skinned house supported on a series of hydraulic lifts that slide into the ground during extreme weather- both flood proof and tornado resistant. (Pics)
Continue reading… “Futuristic tornado-proof house”
Remember the drug smugglers’ submarine that was captured by Ecuadoran police last year? The 75-foot boat was capable of shipping about 9 tons of cocaine. Jim Popkin of Wired wrote a detailed look at its design after reading a report by the US Navy:
The hull, they discovered, was made from a costly and exotic mixture of Kevlar and carbon fiber, tough enough to withstand modest ocean pressures but difficult to trace at sea. Like a classic German U-boat, the drug-running submarine uses diesel engines on the surface and battery-powered electric motors when submerged. With a crew of four to six, it has a maximum operational range of 6,800 nautical miles on the surface and can go 10 days without refueling. Packed with 249 lead-acid batteries, the behemoth can also travel silently underwater for up to 18 hours before recharging…
Caerostris darwini, a giant orb spider and namesake of Charles Darwin, weaves a web of tremendous strength and size.
The antithesis of the itsy-bitsy spider, Caerostris darwini, a giant orb spider and namesake of Charles Darwin, weaves a web of super strength never before seen, says Dr. Todd Blackledge, Leuchtag Endowed Chair at The University of Akron.
Continue reading… “Giant Spider Weaves Web of Super Strength Never Before Seen”
The new light-weight material could eventually replace the “thick, heavy-layered plates” of Kevlar used in existing bullet-proof vests.
Researchers at BAE systems in Bristol combined a “shear-thickening” liquid with the existing material used in bullet-proof vests – called Kevlar – to create the new armor. The chemical formula of the new liquid is being kept secret but scientists say it works by thickening and becoming sticky on impact with a bullet.
Airbags have evolved from being in cars to on cars, so it’s only natural that airbags in aircraft should be making the trip outside. NASA’s Subsonic Rotary Wing Project is attempting to make autorotation landings a little bit softer by slapping a pair of expandable kevlar cushions between the skids, and the first test was a success.
Continue reading… “NASA’s Subsonic Rotary Wing Project – Helicopter With External Airbags”
iWallet
The iWallet is the first wallet that comes with an integrated fingerprint scanner. It also has the Bluetooth connectivity (I guess it’s also the first to have) sounding an obnoxious alarm if your wallet and cellphone get more than 15 to 30 feet away from each other. (Video and pics)
Continue reading… “iWallet – World’s Safest Wallet With A Fingerprint Scanner”
A GIANT inflatable tower could carry people to the edge of space without the need for a rocket, and could be completed much sooner than a cable-based space elevator, its proponents claim.
Continue reading… “Giant Inflatable Tower Could Reach The Edge Of Space”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5xKLhbxbmY[/youtube]
Some toys are so obviously dangerous, that you’ve got to wonder what they were thinking. Following Lawn Darts and the 1950s Atomic Energy Lab toy that included actual radioactive Uranium ores, the Fire Footbag seems so clearly dangerous, that you’d better move fast if you want one before the rest of the world follows Australia’s lead and pulls them off the shelves.
Continue reading… “Most Dangerous Hacky Sack Toy for Firebugs”
