Engineers working on a way to keep police safe may have found the solution in an unusual place.
Taking inspiration from the Japanese art of paper folding, a team of researchers have developed a lightweight shield that can stop bullets in their tracks.
The ballistic barrier is made up of twelve layers of Kevlar and weighs just 55 pounds and it can completely stop projectiles from most common handguns.
Invented by engineers at Brigham Young University, It can be folded compactly when not in use, making it easier to transport and deploy.
When expanded — which takes only five seconds — it can provide cover for officers and stop bullets from several types of handguns.
In testing, the barrier successfully stopped bullets from smaller 9 mm pistols, all the way up to .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum handguns.
The BYU-built barrier by Professor Larry Howell uses a Yoshimura origami crease pattern to expand around an officer, providing protection on the side in addition to protecting them in the front.
