ARMA

Translating the armadillo’s defensive carapace into a high-performance survival tool for urban and natural flood emergencies. This project leverages circular material science and biomimetic engineering to provide debris-impact protection while maintaining the fluid movement essential for emergency navigation.

Flooded with concern

Intensification of global flooding is directly linked to the accelerating impacts ofclimate change. Warmer atmospheric temperatures cause flooding to surge both in frequency and severity, becoming a persistent threat.
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Floods accounted for 40% of global natural disasters and displaced over 10 million people across 150 countries in a single year

These statistics underscore an urgent need for equitable, accessible protective solutions that mitigate risk in both affluent and disadvantaged regions.

Multi-material composite panels layer impact resistant hexagonal tiles over durable and self-healing recycled PVC joints, providing protection from both blunt and sharp debris. Mimics armadillo’s carapace structure of rigid osteoderm tiles connected with flexible sharpey’s fibers to both protect and support flexibility.

Plastic materials are known for being waterproof, durable, lightweight, buoyant, chemical resistant, and a long life span. These materials are upcycled through a system of turning old life vests into recycled plastic material for ARMA.

This process diverts thousands of vests from landfill or incineration, reduces virgin plastic use and CO₂ footprint, and creates a circular material flow and closed-loop manufacturing.

Key Features

Inflates when submerged in water
Convienient storage as it rolls up
Sutures providing comfortable fit and flexible movements