Swimsuits, dive-resistant, cold-drawn animals

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the United States, is working on an underwater apparel - inspired by animals such as beavers, specifically designed to keep warm underwater and dry quickly.

MIT scientist Anette Hosoi came up with this idea when attending a sporting event in Taiwan (China) in 2015 and found that the need for costumes kept dipping.

A special material is used to make a diving suit. (Photo: Qzprod).

Mr. Hosoi contacted his colleague Alice Nasto to study the creation of this special clothing , especially towards the use of natural materials to make wet suits for surfers as they usually do. Exposure to various environments is water and air.

Nasto focuses on semi-aquatic mammals such as beaver. This species is often under water, but does not have fatty layers such as whales or hippos to keep warm. So why can they fight the cold? It is all thanks to the plumage of the individual strands in a way that helps create an "air trap".

The research team tried to create the suit according to the same principle. They make molds for feather surfaces, then use specialized software to adjust the size of each fiber and the distance between them until the optimum solution.

By experimenting with the spacing and length of the hairs, researchers are confident to be able to determine the texture that suits the diving speed and maximize the dry area of the suit, helping swimmers and divers. Keep your body warm when in the water. This research can also be applied in the manufacture of industrial coatings for submerged surfaces in liquid polymers to provide a uniform coating.