For man-made armors, there is usually a trade-off between their mechanical protection and their flexibility and maneuverability. The article linked below discusses how chitons, a group of marine mollusks, address such a challenge with the scaled armors that they’ve obtained through evolution. Many chiton species possess hundreds of small, mineralized scales arrayed on the soft girdle that surrounds their overlapping shell plates. Through a systematic study of the material composition, nanomechanical properties, three-dimensional geometry, and interspecific structural diversity of chiton girdle scales, this article shows that this scaled girdle is a great model for multifunctional armor design because it ensures both flexibility for locomotion and protection of the underlying soft body. Inspired by the tessellated organization of chiton scales, and to assess its flexibility and protection capabilities, the researchers produced a scaled armor analogue using parametric modeling and 3D printing (so this article not only connects to our class in topic but also in methodology).
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