IBM Files Patent for Bullet Dodging Bionic Body Armor

IBM Files Patent for Bullet Dodging Bionic Body Armor

techfragments.com

IBM has filed a patent (US 7484451) for Bionic Body Armor, that could essentially allow us to dodge bullets like Neo in The Matrix. The armor would scan areas for incoming projectiles and when one is detected the system would deliver a shock to the muscles causing a swift reflexive action away from the projectile.

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Related News Links:
www.ibm.com
patft.uspto.gov

How can this body armor move a person out of the way of a bullet without causing extreme trauma to the wearer?

From the US PATENET webpage:
For example, considering a rather short, 200 meter shot, a time of flight of about 200 milliseconds is available from the time of firing until the impact. The typical contraction time of human muscles is between about 40 milliseconds and 80 milliseconds, thus providing sufficient headroom for the electronics to compute the optimal avoidance strategy and initiate evasive muscle stimulation (which will only be limited by the ability of the body to follow the electrical stimulus).

techfragments.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I wouldn't go as far as to say that this will make soldiers unstoppable...whatever has technology in it is always at a risk for malfunction and or can be disabled via something sent over signals (I.E. virus/hackers). I would put more money into bullet vests/armor than this...

I would imagine that jerking all over the place like a humming bird on Red Bull would make the accuracy of return fire somewhat problematical.

I always believed the next evolutionary step would be breatheable gel armor that would stiffen into a hard shell as soon as it is hit by any projectile and then immediately soften to allow a full range of motion.

lol, I just got an image in my head of a malfunctioning suit.

The wearer repeatedly being thrown into a wall because 200 meters away, someone's using a jack-hammer.


... well, at least it's funny to me.

I can just see insurgents releasing container loads of flying insects on the battle field then pumping in some hiphop music for effect!

IMB is really broadening they're market it seems. Hmm...I dunno, does seem kinda impracticle to shock the body into moving.

What would happen when multiple projectiles were coming towards you? Could you simultaneously move left and then right, up and down?

Doesn't really seem probable.

But hey, all the luck to them it would be pretty neat to have gang wars where nobody but civilians got killed....ohh wait...we already have that.

Sounds really cool and all..

I wouldn't want to be the first human testing it..

And I wonder how well it would work with multiple shooters???

Originally posted by Retseh
I would imagine that jerking all over the place like a humming bird on Red Bull would make the accuracy of return fire somewhat problematical.

I always believed the next evolutionary step would be breatheable gel armor that would stiffen into a hard shell as soon as it is hit by any projectile and then immediately soften to allow a full range of motion.

The gel suit armour has already arrived;

It seems crazy, Robert R. Schiller admits: the notion that you could shield yourself from bullets, shrapnel, and knives by donning the equivalent of a wet suit. But by early next year the president and chief operating officer of Armor Holdings Inc. (AH ) aims to be selling what he describes as "liquid armor" -- garments constructed from layers of tough fibers and fluid polymers -- to prison guards. By the end of 2007, he hopes, police and maybe soldiers will begin wearing the company's new protective gear as well. For the corrections market in particular, Schiller says, "it has the potential to be a breakthrough product."

www.businessweek.com...

Alternatively you can make your own by mixing five parts custard powder with 2 parts agar gel, pour into a wet suit, slip yourself in and allow to set, then have fun, fun, fun!

Already being discussed HERE

Good story eh?

Do you suppose they used similar technology in Iraq? At the end of the video you will see what looks like a dude in a chroma suit. However, I am of the view that it is one of the crew from the first tank running back with the image on the video subsequently edited.

Amazing post. One of the best places to hang on the net is at the US Patent website. You find tons of crazy stuff. I see a lot of large companies investing in weird things like this. If I had a large company I would certainly invest in private security in some form.