ATM is a bug-like defense

In the near future, ATMs can be equipped with a mechanism that allows them to spray hot foams on those who want to 'mop away' the ATM for cash.

>>> History of ATMs

ATM attacks have risen in recent years - (Photo: Bloomberg)

ETH University researchers in Zurich (Switzerland) are working on a special film that can trigger a violent reaction when destroyed.

"It can be used wherever the user thinks that it needs to be protected ," said Prof. Wendelin Jan Stark, lead researcher at Nanowerk.

Stark and his colleagues have developed a self-defending surface , made from several layers of plastics, overlapping each other, according to a report in Materials Chemistry.

If the surface is damaged, hot foam including water vapor, oxygen and heat will spray on the attacker's face, with heat up to 80 degrees Celsius, the same as the beetle's defense mechanism.

The new film can be especially suitable for ATM protection or for cash transfers, which are far more expensive than the current protection measures that rely on electrical appliances.