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Surely we’ve all heard that spider webs are stronger and far more resilient than metal strings of the same diameter. The human wish to research the spider web to understand how to produce shields inspired by it is around for a while, but there was no significant progress in the field so far. However, all the while scientists are putting great effort into researching nano-technology in order to develop the next generation of technology in general and especially technology used to save lives, be it in military or civilian.
The American nano-technology company, Applied Nanotech, Inc., has managed to take the matter of soldiers’ protection in the battlefield a step forward. The copany has developed a shield panel that can be installed on vehicles, ships and buildings hosting soldiers, which is made of fiberglass resistant to fire and explosions. On top of that, the shield has antennas to disrupt electronic frequencies and prevent remote controlled roadside charges going off, such as with cell phones, while simultaneously improving communications between the force’s soldiers. Upgrading communications abilities will make the need for installing a special antenna with a large surface area redundant, making the car less vulnerable.
In order to create this new shield system, Applied Nanotech has joined Armortex, maker of bullet-, blast- and forced entry-resistant products, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Villanova University to help the development, as each of the four partners contributes its advantage to the final product.
