In the spring and autumn period, Luban discovered that there are many sharp and fast teeth on the edge of the grass blade, so he invented the saw; based on the principle of mosquitoes, we invented the syringe; based on the principle of shark skin, we invented a new swimming suit... Everything can always provide us with infinite wisdom and imagination.
No, another "ruthless character" in the insect world has appeared, the black and hard guy below. I used to hear people say harshly: "I can squeeze you to death, it can be as simple as squeezing a bug!" The devil iron beetle expressed dissatisfaction. You can pinch it?
The demon iron beetle is like a hard rock. Even the strongest person in the world can squeeze this beetle with his thumb and index finger as far as he can. Because the squeezing force of the two fingers of a human hand does not exceed 40 Newtons, the Demon Iron Beetle can withstand a squeezing force of about 160 Newtons.
The demon iron beetle lives in the arid area of the west coast of the United States. It can’t fly. It is known for its hard shell. It will pretend to be "dead" when stimulated by external forces. Its longest natural life span can reach eight years. And language.
In order to understand the mystery of "why the demon iron beetle is so hard", the leading team of materials scientist David Kissalus at the University of California, Irvine, used advanced microscopy, spectroscopy, and in-situ mechanical testing to deal with the devil. The super shell of the iron beetle was studied, and it really found its unique structure. In the body of this small insect tank, two key microscopic features help it withstand strong squeezing force.
The first aspect is a series of connections between the upper and lower parts of the demon iron beetle exoskeleton. There are some convex ridges on the edges that lock together, and the contact surface presents three different types of lateral support. , Connect the ventral stratum corneum to the elytra: interdigital, closed, and free-standing. The interdigital joints are the hardest and strongest under compression, and the closed and independent support allows the exoskeleton to undergo some deformation during compression to cushion the pressure.
The second aspect is the rigid and flexible joint or suture structure on the back of the devil iron beetle, which extends along the midline of the back of the devil iron beetle, connecting the thick armor on the left and right sides.
Scientists call this series of demon iron beetles "blade", they can be assembled together like a jigsaw puzzle, connecting the two sides closely. Moreover, these blades contain tissue layers bonded together by proteins, which are highly resistant to damage and self-repairing. When the devil iron beetle is squeezed with a certain amount of force, tiny cracks are formed in the protein glue between each blade layer, but scientists say that those small cracks are similar to self-healing fractures, and these blades can effectively absorb the impact. It will not be completely broken, protecting the soft tissues in the body of the demon iron beetle. Researchers believe that the strong structure of the cross-shaped support on the upper layer can be used to protect the vital organs of the demon iron beetle from being crushed; in the upper and lower links, the compliant closed and free-standing supports allow exoskeleton Deformation, similar to the height-adjustable chassis suspension, allows the demon iron beetle to squeeze into the cracks of rocks or bark.
This similar ability to adapt to deformation has inspired scientists to design some telescopic and deformable robots that can squeeze into and move in small spaces. It can be used to search for survivors in collapsed buildings after a disaster. The support structure of the Demon Iron Beetle may also provide new design ideas for armored vehicles. People have to sigh that the result of natural evolution is so great, the demon iron beetle that gave up the ability to fly has made the evolution of its own armor stronger than most of its kind.
David Kissalus added: "Given that natural organisms have been doing optimization and evolution experiments for hundreds of millions of years, humans have sufficient resources to provide inspiration for the next generation of materials and structural designs." Nature’s apprenticeship, and the research results of the demon iron beetle "armor kit" may inspire new and more robust design solutions, which are expected to be used in the design of a new generation of body armor, buildings, and bridges in the future.
