Tiny shrimp's powerful punch inspires a new kind of human helmet

The mantis shrimp has gained notoriety in recent years after being featured on popular internet sites such as YouTube or the webcomic, "The Oatmeal." This week, however, scientists have released a study that suggests the mantis shrimp may soon become better known for the body armor – including a helmet – it inspires.

 Although researchers at University of California, Riverside, Purdue University, and other research institutions first began discussing the design implications of the mantis shrimp's club structure several years ago, the study published this week in the journal Advanced Materials examines the unique herringbone structure in the outer layer of the mantis shrimp's famous punching club....
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0601/Tiny-shrimp-s-powerful-punch-inspires-a-new-kind-of-human-helmet