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Flexible snake armour
Snakes are a classic example in terms of their flexibility of movement
and adaptability. However, because they are limbless, their bodies
have to permanently endure friction forces. A snake’s skin must last
two to three months until it is shed. It was these properties that
prompted researchers at Kiel University, Germany, to explore the idea
of snake skin as a model for wear-resistant materials. So they decided
to examine the skin of four snake species with very different habitats.
They discovered that although the thickness and structure of snake
skin vary depending on the species, the skin of all species has a stiff
and hard outside, and becomes softer and more flexible towards the
inside. A material that changes from being stiff on the outside to more
flexible on the inside can distribute an impact force over a larger
area. This combination of hard and soft creates a “flexible armour”.
The frictional properties of snake skin are an important model for the
bionics research being conducted at Kiel University for the
development of new and the optimisation of already existing
materials.