Mantis shrimp key to armour that can take 50,000 bullet impacts

Posted On: June 21, 2012

Military body armour and vehicle and aircraft frames could be improved by incorporating the unique structure of the club-like arm of a crustacean that looks like an armoured caterpillar, say researchers.

The club is so strong that it shears the water, literally boiling it, forming cavitation bubbles that implode, yielding a secondary impact on its prey

The bright orange fist-like club of the mantis shrimp, or stomatopod, a 4-inch long crustacean found in tropical waters, accelerates underwater faster than a 22-calibre bullet. Repeated blows can destroy mollusk shells and crab exoskeletons, both of which have been studied for decades for their impact-resistant qualities.

The power of the mantis shrimp is exciting, but David Kisailus, an assistant professor at the Bourns College of Engineering, and his collaborators, were interested in what enabled the club to withstand 50,000 high-velocity strikes on prey during its lifespan. Essentially, how does something withstand 50,000 bullet impacts?

More info