Ballistic barriers used by law enforcement agencies haven’t quite change since medieval times. Sure, the materials may have changed, but the design didn’t quite. Up to this day, it is still a clunky piece of flat or curved board that serve to protect only one person. However, that will soon change with an ingenious origami-inspired bulletproof shield developed by Brigham Young University (BYU). With BYU’s creation, the ballistic shield is formed from 12 layers of bulletproof Kevlar and uses a Yoshimura origami crease pattern to allow its relatively lightweight 55 pounds form to fold down to an easy to carry, compact form that can be stowaway in the trunk of say, a police car.
Deploying the barrier is extremely quick too, taking a mere 5 seconds to put a handgun-resistance barrier between the officers and the threat. And it not only offers protection from the front, but also the side too. The 12-layer Kevlar composition has been tested and proven to take the punishments from a variety of calibers of handgun – even standing up to large caliber .44 Magnum. Finally, the barrier is also shielded against the the environment to prevent elements like sunlight and water from wearing it out. Though, BYU did not disclosed it has done to “reinforce it against the environment.” Skip ahead to catch a video to learn more.
Images: BYU.
BYU via The Awesomer.
