This article was taken from the November issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content bysubscribing online
The next generation of bulletproof vests has a lot in common with custard. Scientists from BAE Systems’ Advanced Technology Centre in Filton, just outside Bristol, have developed a “liquid” body armour made of shear-thickening fluids which solidify on impact, absorbing shock -- just as custard becomes more resistant the faster you stir it. Sandwiched between Kevlar sheets, the liquid polymer disperses impact more evenly than traditional armour, which means quicker recovery times.
The vest is also lighter, using ten sheets of Kevlar rather than the usual 30. But don’t go charging in just yet. Researchers are currently conducting high-velocity impact tests and, according to Stewart Penney from BAE, “getting shot will still bloody hurt”.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
