BMW Inspired By A Fruit To Offer Protection

Luxury carmaker, BMW and a group of German companies and universities have taken inspiration from nature's design, in this case, more specifically by the pomelo, a large citrus fruit. The new protective gear is part of the Bio-Inspired Safety Systems project by BMW.

The pomelo's thick skin structure, slightly like a grapefruit, provides excellent impact protection when they fall off the tree.

The skin of the pomelo is especially good at impact absorption; this is because it is an auxetic material. The researchers are also taking a careful look at the scales of fish and alligators for their protective qualities.

Inspired by nature, the researchers copied these structures to build foams and composite textiles. They then utilised these to prototype safety equipment, such as gloves and protective inserts. This made the material 20 percent lighter, tougher, and more stable than current materials.

The Bavarian carmaker wants to test the new materials as new safety equipment for workers in its facilities, with plans to bring them to market as well.

With improved breathability and flexibility, the researchers see applications in motorcycle gear: a prototype helmet gives the same protection, but it's lighter than conventional models.

DriveSpark Thinks!

Issac Newton discovered one of the greatest inventions through nature and BMW might be looking to nature to offer a helmet inspired by a fruit like a pomelo.