Dyneema
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Puma wants to let you try its new Fi self-lacing shoes
With the upcoming release of Nike's $350 Adapt BB, self-lacing shoes are set to become more commonplace, and Puma isn't about to let its rival take all the credit. After all, the German company showed off its own self-lacing sneaker, the Autodisc, back in 2015 -- around the same time as Nike's iconic (and ultra rare) Mag before it evolved into the HyperAdapt. The only problem was the Autodisc just wasn't practical enough to enter retail -- it was too expensive, too heavy and could have been more comfortable. But that's about to change with Puma's latest creation, the Fi (pronounced as "F-I" aka "Fit Intelligence").
Watch these drones build a rope bridge
One of the big selling points of drones is that they can get to areas that aren't exactly safe or accessible by humans. That's why watching quadrocopters assembling a rope bridge that's sturdy enough for a person to walk across is so damned awesome -- it immediately calls to mind a real-world use scenario that probably all of us can relate to. The video below was filmed at RTH Zurich Flying Machine Arena in Switzerland, and, according to the YouTube description, aside from the scaffolding on either side of the bridge, the structure is "entirely realized by flying machines." Every knot and braid in the 7.4 meter (just over 24 feet) bridge was tied by the UAVs using Dyneema rope. As Robohub tells it, the material has a low weight-to-strength ratio that makes it pretty great for aerial construction uses.
This kids blanket can stop a bullet
Throughout the history of blankets, hiding behind one to escape the boogeyman has been a largely pointless tactic. Now, however, an Oklahoma company has developed a blanket that'll protect you against fictional monsters as well as the very real dangers of tornado damage and 9mm bullets. Inspired by a tragedy where 24 people died at an elementary school that didn't have a tornado shelter, Steve Walker hassled other locals to come up with a solution. A materials scientist suggested making large pads out of Dyneema, a super-thick polyethylene that's meant to be tougher than Kevlar, that kids could hide under during tornados or incidents of gun violence. The company admits that the blankets don't come cheap, since they'll cost $1,000 per child, but it's still significantly cheaper than trying to find the cash to build a shelter for every school in the state.
