Beaver-Inspired Material For Better Wetsuits

Oct-07-16 A new beaver-inspired furry rubber material could keep divers warmer in cold waters.

Developed by a team from MIT, the bioinspired material was based on the knowledge of how semiaquatic mammals trap air bubbles in their fur, which helps to insulate them and keep them dry while diving.

To replicate the natural process, the team created an array of soft rubber “fur-like surfaces” featuring rubber hairs of varying lengths and densities. The team then submerged the fur material in silicone oil to study how the air pockets formed, allowing them to build a model of which arrangements of hairs were best able to trap air at different dive speeds.

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[NEWATLAS.COM]
[NEWS.MIT.EDU]

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