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Hi all, I'm a senior chemical engineer, and for our final project we have to design a new product which incorporates some form of chemical engineering. My group chose to couple non-newtonian fluids with rigid supports in order to create a lighter, stronger and safer body armor to wear while riding a bike. It would essentially be a shirt made of under armor-ish material. Inside the shirt, we would have small pockets of this non-newtonian fluid (which is basically a gel) flanked by plastic supports, mimicking the human ribcage.

The point of our invention is that the non-newtonian fluid coupled with the mimicry of the ribcage will provide more support than models already on the market, at a comparable price.

As a part of our final report, we have to do an economic analysis of our potential product, which includes marketing research. I just wanted to get some input from people who actually ride motorcycles. Is this something you would consider purchasing? It would be lightweight (no more than 3-4 lbs), breathable, and provide superior thoracic and spinal protection while costing no more than current "body armors" that are on the market ($150-250).

Here's a video of a non-newtonian fluid that is similar to the one that will be used in our armor: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7913529.stm

A simple yes or no is all I need, and any other input about what you guys are looking for in a body armor would be a fantastic bonus.

Thank you guys for your time and input,
Mike

edit: sorry about the broken link, it should work fine now. And thanks for your input, it really helps a lot!

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I voted yes despite not being able to view the video. I'm always in favor of wearing armor while riding. If it's durable, equally (or better) protective and lightweight for the same price, I'm there.

Isn't D30 already in new first gear armor?

I think it is the combination of the materials and the shape structure of the material. Not just the gel.

This is similar I think to aircraft materials that are extremely light for their weight - based on their structure. I wonder sometimes if a honeycomb interior structure made of a light material sandwiched between lightweight aluminum could make interesting armor segments. I remember when I worked on planes holding a piece of this stuff - relatively large - and it was really light.

Of course, for a jacket it would be bulky, but it is possible that there would be some way to adapt it. I could see the honeycomb filled with a gel to reduce the force of impact as well.

edited to add: Of course, the real application would be in a helmet.

Check out the video! (now that the link's correct). It's quite impressive. Anyway, I'm game for any improvement in armor. Can't see how a survey with just a single yes/no input could provide usable data though.

Maybe a second survey afterward with a follow up question for the yes answers. What price range would you be interested. They have the airbag jackets and they aren't too expensive, but every time I'm interested in buying one it is off season and they aren't producing any more.

I'd probably spend a little more than I spend on regular jackets - but I'm cheap and don't spend much on jackets in general. If I was going for the best jacket that I wouldn't buy another one for many years - I could go as high as $500, but on average I only spend between 120 and 250.

I am all for anything that has the potential to provide better protection. I understand the impact absorption qualities of this "fluid", but how does it behave in response to friction (as in during a slide) ? Does it heat up? Do it's physical properties change in response to heat? is it toxic if it gets ground into an open wound? I would need to know more about it before I could determine if I would buy "it".

In MotoGP a suit is being tested that can sense when a crash is imminent through electronic positioning instruments built into the suit, when the algorithm determines that a crash is in progress, it rapidly inflates pockets in the suit followed by rapid deflation so the rider can continue after the crash if able. Pretty cool, but horrendously expensive.