The three-banded armadillo has an unusual way to protect itself. When threatened, it rolls itself up. The adorable mammal’s thick plates form a nearly impenetrable ball that just may save its life. That ability has now inspired the outer shell for a new robot — one that can keep fragile stuff, such as electronics, from getting damaged.
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Like an armadillo, the new device changes shape to protect itself with a rigid shell, says study leader Jianyu Zhou. He’s a mechanical engineer at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh.
His team’s new gadget starts out flat. But when touched, it can roll up into a wheel. A hard, 3-D printed outer surface will guard its contents from puncture, breakage or falls.
The design can protect components built into a device. But there’s also “an inner space,” Zhou adds. So it can hold and protect a small payload, too.
English (US)