The newly opened lab within the Abu Dhabi-based Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is working to develop materials that can prevent space rovers from crashing and to create helmets, bumpers, tyres and car batteries that can withstand explosions.
Innovative lightweight structures designed to absorb impact energy can be also used in helmets for sport, riding motorcycles, as well as horseback riding, a statement from TII said.
The Advanced Materials Research Center, an arm of TII, will house the new Impact Lab that will trial materials, laminates and composites to solve real-world problems.
“We aim to provide cutting-edge tech solutions to companies in the UAE and around the world, and to contribute through developing IP and filing patents to the region’s tech autonomy,” said Dr. Mohamed AlTeneiji, Chief Researcher, Advanced Materials Research Center.
The new lab will be home to tests conducted under a range of impact-related environments, from assessing structures on their velocities, temperatures and energy absorption rates. The state-of-the-art equipment will be used to evaluate the behaviours of the materials that help develop breakthrough solutions.
Among the futuristic tech devices available at the lab are the Universal Testing Machine that determines the material’s tensile, compression, and bending properties. The Split Hopkinson
Pressure Bar, which is a first in the region, measures the material properties during impact and can read temperatures from as low as -60 °C to as high as 225 °C.
The Gas-Gun Projectile Launcher is also one of a kind in the Middle East. Capable of simulating ballistic, space debris, or bird impacts on aircrafts, this device launches a gas-like substance at up to 1,000 m/s with a high-velocity impact. Meanwhile, the Drop Tower studies effects on material structures similar to those in a car crash or on a helmet following an accident. The machine can configure impact of up to 25 m/s in a low-velocity impact setting, allowing researchers to optimize results to meet user needs and step up the safeguards to cushion them from severe impacts.
