"Since Saab was started, we have strived to keep society and people safe," writes the company. And they’re not talking about putting airbags in 9-3’s; this is the Saab Group, the aerospace and defence company, not the automobile venture. "It is a basic human need to feel safe and, as we see it, a human right. Through systems and solutions that increase security, we can make this possible."
Their latest solution, Soft Armour, is both fascinating and sadly needed. It’s a system of bulletproofing structures, and potentially vehicles, by means of modular boxes that are filled with what look like ceramic marbles. Check out how it works:
While the system can be built into new structures, Saab Group stresses that it can easily be retrofitted to existing ones. The modular panel boxes can be built on site with common tools, filled with the ceramic marbles, and stacked up "as a Lego system for protection." It will stop armor-piercing rounds (of the small arms variety) and, they claim, "has a lower total cost than ceramic and composite protection, with reusability, multi-hit capabilities and high flexibility."
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via Core77
Clever Bulletproofing System Based on Marbles and Legos