honeycombs bounce back when other honeycombs do not

The University of Texas at Austin

Natural structures have long inspired human innovations. The bee honeycomb structure, for example, has been applied to products as varied as car bumpers and athletic helmets to absorb impact.

The only drawback to the honeycomb has been its inability to maintain its unique structure after just one hit. The material buckles and doesn't bounce back.

To solve this problem, researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering developed a groundbreaking honeycomb-inspired energy-absorbing structure to better withstand blunt and ballistic impact. In short, these honeycombs bounce back when other honeycombs do not.

Learn more about the UT Austin team’s research on the innovative structure: http://utex.as/1iY8fKV ‪#‎WhatStartsHere‬