DESIGN MIAMI 2011
TOKYO DESIGN WEEK 2011
DUTCH DESIGN WEEK 2011
VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2011
[photo: cross section of APS fabric]
Dow Corning's latest material news is called APS or Active Protection System, an "intelligent" fabric that consists of three-dimensional spacer textile treated with a specially formulated, responsive silicone coating. It remains soft and flexible under normal conditions. But when stressed under high-impact force, the material instantly becomes rigid, and then immediately returns to a flexible state. This innovative material offers a unique combination of benefits that is particularly suited for use in high-performance protective apparel and equipment.
Those who are into smart fabrics will surely remember D3O lab's products which are based upon the same principle. New materials open doors to new applications as demonstrated by the 6 winning designs of their recent competition.
Comments
Don't know if this was already featured here, but saw it on "Future Weapons" on the Discovery channel... called: Dragonskin... Check it on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS0pSwdQfbY
We're developing an exhibition on modern technology in the textiles industry. This is an amazing innovation. Look forward to understanding how it responds to sudden temperature changes.
That 2nd Prize flip shoe in the contest has been done already. Nike Ovidian I believe.
Dragonskin is Boron Carbide ceramic plates that overlap each other. They form a type of scale armor. The fabric mentioned in this article is different in the fact that it otherwise is very flexible until moment of impact.