A team at a university built a protective device called the MIPM. It is flexible at rest and can curl into a round shell when touched or hit.
The device is inspired by armadillos and can protect fragile technologies such as soft robots and flexible electronics. A sensor in the device senses strain and then a heating layer makes parts move so the outer shell curves and closes around the object.
Early tests showed the sensor triggered the change and more rigid segments made the shell stronger.
Difficult words
- protective — keeps something safe from damage
- shell — a hard outside part that covers somethinground shell, outer shell
- fragile — easily broken or damaged by small force
- sensor — a device that detects changes and sends signalsthe sensor
- strain — a physical change when something is stretched
- rigid — not bending, stiff and not easily movedrigid segments
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Discussion questions
- What would you protect with a device that curls around objects?
- Do you think a device inspired by armadillos is a good idea? Why or why not?
- How did the early tests show the device worked?
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