Biomimicry

The mantis shrimp is a small, multi-coloured marine crustacean, with a number sporting fist-like appendage called a dactyl club. This particular variety of mantis shrimp is known as a smasher, as it crushes its prey with its club. Through the study of these creatures, researchers at University of California Riverside and Purdue University, USA, have taken steps toward developing ultra strong composite materials based on the unique herringbone structure within the dactyl club’s outer layer.

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Purdue University have used the mantis shrimp as inspiration for a new 3D printed material. The crustacean’s club-like appendage, used to beat prey, consists of an unusual herringbone pattern, which the researchers synthetically replicated.