Durable Backpack Inspired by the Pangolin

Innovation: Industry

Pangolin

2009

Image: Louis Mornaud / Unsplash / CC BY SA - Creative Commons Attribution + ShareAlike

Protect From Animals

Animals–organisms that range from microscopic to larger than a bus–embody a wide variety of harms to living systems, including other animals. They threaten through predation, herbivory, defense, and parasitism, and they compete for resources such as water, nutrients, and space. Any given living organism commonly faces threats from a variety of animals, requiring strategies that effectively defend from each. Trout and other bony fish, for example, escape predators by having scales made of very thin, flake-like pieces of bone covered with slippery mucus. They also have behavioral strategies such as camouflage, fast swimming, and twisting and turning to achieve release from a predator’s grip.

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Protect From Dirt/solids

When dirt and other small solids adhere to living systems, they can slow them down, create blockages, reduce their ability to carry out vital functions, or cause surface wear and tear. Due to electrostatic forces, it’s easy for dirt and other solids to adhere to surfaces, so living systems must overcome those forces. An earthworm, for example, uses a small electric current to keep soil particles from adhering to its body as it moves through the soil. This enables it to move more efficiently by reducing drag.

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Manage Impact

An impact is a high force or mechanical shock that happens over a short period of time, such as a hammer hitting a nail rather than a hand pushing slowly against a wall. Because of their speed and force, impacts don’t allow materials to slowly adjust to the force, which can lead to cracks, ruptures, and complete breakage. Therefore, living systems have strategies that can absorb, dissipate, or otherwise survive that force without the need to add large amounts of material. For example, the Toco toucan’s large beak is very lightweight, yet can withstand impacts because it’s made of a composite material with rigid foam inside and layers of a hard, fibrous material outside.

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The Pangolin Backpack from Pangolin has overlapping scales that protect the contents within.

Benefits

Durable
Flexible

Applications

Backpacks
Luggage
Packaging

UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed

Goal 9: Industry Innovation & Infrastructure

The Challenge

Backpacks are often used to carry expensive items such as laptops. Many cloth backpacks do not offer the protection needed to keep these items safe.

Innovation Details

The backpack storage space is created by layers that overlap. This creates a durable and flexible bag for transport that allows the user to access the contents with ease when needed.

Pangolin backpack opening and closing. Photo: Pangolin.

Biological Model

The pangolin has several dangerous predators such as leopards and hyenas. To protect itself, the pangolin has an armour of horny scales that overlap like shingles on a roof. At the slightest danger, the animal tucks its head into its stomach and the scales overlap to allow the pangolin to wrap itself into a ball. This design helps to provide protection while allowing for flexibility of movement.

See Related Strategy

Biological Strategy

Scales Provide Flexible, Strong Protection

Ground pangolin

Individual scales of pangolins with complex layering overlap to create a flexible shield.

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