Fish-scale study may lead to better armor

Source

SCALES that protect an aggressive fish from the bites of its fellows as well as from predators may hold the key to the armor of the future, American researchers reported yesterday.

The light, multi-layered design of its scales has helped Polypterus senegalus survive for 96 million years, the team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported.

I can't help but think of dragonscale armour, but this may well lead to something far better. Sounds very promising if they can actually turn it into engineered technology.

Dragon Skin

Dragon skin. Best body armour ever made.

Seems like they need to back track a bit and develop their own 'dragon skin' type armour to save face after the interceptor / Dragon skin farce.

Dan Tanna, simply for arguments sake, I'll point out that [to my belief] Dragonscale was inferior.

To use the common analogy I've found in arguments:
If you swipe a blade in the direction the scales grow, you'll do little more than slide against the surface of the fish. Wonderful protection!

If however you go in the opposite direction, you scale the fish. Prepare a nice stew, eviscerate the sucker, and you've got good eats.

While I'm sure cash and corporate love came into the equation -- I can't help but to imagine what would happen if a soldier wearing the armour stepped on an IED. Not only would it be stripped, but the shrapnel would go everywhere.

Originally posted by Iblis
Dan Tanna, simply for arguments sake, I'll point out that [to my belief] Dragonscale was inferior.

To use the common analogy I've found in arguments:
If you swipe a blade in the direction the scales grow, you'll do little more than slide against the surface of the fish. Wonderful protection!

If however you go in the opposite direction, you scale the fish. Prepare a nice stew, eviscerate the sucker, and you've got good eats.

While I'm sure cash and corporate love came into the equation -- I can't help but to imagine what would happen if a soldier wearing the armour stepped on an IED. Not only would it be stripped, but the shrapnel would go everywhere.

Pity then that the inventor of the current interceptor body armour says dragon skin is a whole generation of protection better than his stuff.

Dragon skin for your information sits inside a woven over jacket. Just like most body armour is.

reply to post by Dan Tanna


No need for hostility -- Like I said, the point was to present a side of argument.

Any source for that claim?

"I can't help but to imagine what would happen if a soldier wearing the armour stepped on an IED"

Exactly the same as if a soldier wearing Interceptor stepped on an IED. Except that they'd be less likely to, as the flexibility and mobility given by Dragonskin make it a lot easy to bend over, turn, look around etc.

Obviously they've tested it from all angles, do you have any evidence of a vulnerability other than a hunch?

Anyone who can set a shot up at exactly 85 degrees (or whatever) would be able to go for a headshot and bypass the armor entirely.

My understanding of dragon scale armour is that it could have been vastly improved if they had actually looked at fish and lizard scale designs which spread force better amongst other scales. Take a look at the round dragon scales versus every other scale in nature and you'll find quite different designs.

Also what they are talking about too is the actual physical compoition of these scales leading to an miproved knowledge of the different physical layers affecting energy diffusion.

Opinions aside, if they come up with a proper scale pattern that can be worn comfortably and allows for extra mobility, plus the added protection then we are looking at a sweet deal.

I just hope the army does not come up with some lame excuse not to invest into it.

How would armor like this stand up to the higher shots at say 30 meters and under?

Going off what we know from dragon scale.