Effects Of Superheroic Technology On Society: Protect-O-Weave

[Marcus Impudite]

In the game world, an inventor has recently developed a revolutionary new type of ballistics-resistant cloth he calls Protect-O-Weave, which is weight for weight stronger than Kevlar, can be given the look and feel of everything from denim to silk, and is even machine washable. In a video that has gone viral across the net, he puts a T-shirt made of the new material on a ballistics gel torso and, on a secure shooting range, a Campaign City SWAT officer takes shots at it with a wide range of different firearms. Results of the test are quite impressive: the shirt stops numerous pistol- and rifle-caliber bullets, leaving the gel torso underneath surprisingly unmarred. The inventor starts his own company to manufacture clothing made of the new armor cloth; taking on contracts to produce uniforms for various law enforcement agencies and even custom making bullet-resistant outfits for anyone with the money to afford it. Assuming some years go by since then, and Protect-O-Weave clothing has become increasingly affordable and commonplace, what would be the effect on society?

[Crusher Bob]

Any large and noticable effect would likely depend on the other materials properties of Protect-O-Weave™ fibers.  For example, if I figure out how to synthesize spider silk, it won't really make much better armor than kevlar, but the fact that it is so much stretchier than anything remotely as strong (afaik) means that it will have all sorts materials science applications.

 

The first adopters would be those that don't have large sunk costs.  So VIPs, special operations troops, possibly small police departments.

 

But, for example, looking at the assassinated US President's, it might not matter:

Kennedy: shot in the head (wouldn't matter)

Taft: shot in the arm and back (would matter)

Lincoln: shot in the head (wouldn't matter)

Garfield: shot twice in the abdomen (would matter)

 

So even bullet stopping armor that the VIP can wear almost all the time without real discomfort would only have mattered around half the time.

 

Police forces already wear 'pretty good' armor already.  Sure better and more comfortable is obviously better, but it doesn't seem to be something to break your budget on, as police officers don't get shot that often anyway.

 

Special forces soldiers will probably love the stuff, assuming it works exactly as advertized, as modern body armor is very heavy and very hot.  Modern body armor with all the plates fitted in is something like 15 kg.  Assuming the Protect-O-Weave™ version is only half the weight, that 7.5 kg that they don't have to carry around.

 

It would take something like 5 to 10 years for the armor to be adopted by the armed forces as a whole, with the speed of adoption being more related to the politics of procurement, rather than to how good the armor is.

 

If you want PCs to care, make Protect-O-Weave™ useful for more things than body armor. 

Examples: 

Protect-O-Weave™ cases for personal electronics make them up to four times as drop resistant as conventional cases! Never break your cell phone by dropping again!

 

Protect-O-Weave™ automobile frames are both half as heavy and twice as impact resistant as conventional frames.  With a Protect-O-Weave™ frame, your car is both safer and more fuel efficient!  Don't you want your child's next schoolbus to have a Protect-O-Weave™ frame? call your congressman today!

[BoloOfEarth]

Protect-O-Weave™ (being a flexible cloth) doesn't seem like it would really apply to hard solids, like automobile frames and electronics cases.  (But Crusher Bob's other points are all well made.)  Though the inventor could turn his talents toward producing a Protect-O-Weave™-like solid material (for discussion purposes, I'll call it Protect-Alloy™).

 

A fave pet project of mine is airships, and if Protect-O-Weave™ is both lightweight enough and flame-resistant, it could serve as a suitable outer shell for dirigibles.  Throw in a lightweight Protect-Alloy™ framework to reduce overall weight to be lifted, and you could have airships supplementing trains and trucks for long-distance transport of goods.

 

- - - - - -

 

Sticking strictly to Protect-O-Weave™, however, widespread distribution would also lead to criminal elements getting their hands on it.  This might lead to gangs getting bolder, especially in regard to taking action against other gangs, since there's less negative consequences for them.  So, possibly more frequent turf wars.

 

If there are weapons that Protect-O-Weave™ doesn't protect much against (say, tasers), that might lead to those weapons becoming more frequently used.

 

In my game, I'd have the inventor produce a line of designer costumes for superheroes (and probably an under-the-table market for supervillains as well).  I'd also have cheap knockoffs (Protect-O-Weev) that don't work nearly as well (maybe it stops a .22 bullet) but most consumers won't know the difference until it's too late.

 

If the inventor wanted to maintain strict control over his product, it would limit distribution and probably be a bit pricier than if anyone can produce a Protect-O-Weave™ outfit.

[bubba smith]

In the game world, an inventor has recently developed a revolutionary new type of ballistics-resistant cloth he calls Protect-O-Weave, which is weight for weight stronger than Kevlar, can be given the look and feel of everything from denim to silk, and is even machine washable. In a video that has gone viral across the net, he puts a T-shirt made of the new material on a ballistics gel torso and, on a secure shooting range, a Campaign City SWAT officer takes shots at it with a wide range of different firearms. Results of the test are quite impressive: the shirt stops numerous pistol- and rifle-caliber bullets, leaving the gel torso underneath surprisingly unmarred. The inventor starts his own company to manufacture clothing made of the new armor cloth; taking on contracts to produce uniforms for various law enforcement agencies and even custom making bullet-resistant outfits for anyone with the money to afford it. Assuming some years go by since then, and Protect-O-Weave clothing has become increasingly affordable and commonplace, what would be the effect on society?

law enforcement must love this

[MrKinister]

The military, with its vast funding machine, would be the first ones to try it out/order it in quantity/field test it effectively in real conditions. After mass manufacture, it would trickle down to regular law enforcement/private use, since the cost would come down to something affordable.

 

At the same time, those who now feel they need to "overcome" this protection, would unwittingly create a new arms race to develop weapons that could bypass this protection. Perhaps heat or electricity weapons. It would depend on the weave's chemical and material properties. Ballistic impact being its high point, perhaps things like concussion and pressure waves would be useful (think: grenades) to disrupt internal organs. That would also be useful to attempt to hit non-protected areas (think: shrapnel) in the arms and legs. Automatic shotguns? The heads would likely already wear helmets.

[TheQuestionMan]

Nexia Biosteel tm - emerging technology, bio-mimetic textile.

 

Nano Steel - Molecular bonded steel alloy.

 

Links later

 

QM

[BoloOfEarth]

I have to appreciate for the moment the fact that Protect-O-Weave™ can be abbreviated as POW.  Was its predecessor Ballistic Application Material™, aka BAM? 

 

Assuming a comic-bookish universe, while the price is higher on civilian forms of Protect-O-Weave™, I could also see some supervillain figuring out a way to detect Protect-O-Weave™ outfits as a way of picking out bodyguards and undercover police and the like (as well as superheroes in secret ID) before making a hit. 

 

"We have IR signatures matching POW outfits on subjects 2, 10, and 15.  Have the troops target them first, tasers and sonics."

 

"You say you're just a gang member trying to break into the big time by joining VIPER.  Care to explain how you came to own normal looking Protect-O-Weave™ street clothes worth more than your car?"

 

This could be a two-edged sword, as the good guys could use the same technology to ID possible covert operatives.

 

As Mr. Kinister pointed out, you'd have an arms race of sorts.

[womble]

Protect-O-Weave™ (being a flexible cloth) doesn't seem like it would really apply to hard solids, like automobile frames and electronics cases.

 

 

Carbon fibre comes in flexible sheets, then gets held in shape by resins and such. Most of the strength is still in the fibre, and while it might not yield, it will be floppy once the matrix has spalled off in an initial impact, but that's generally okay for that sort of protective function.

[winterhawk]

How realistic is your campaign world?  If it parallels the Real World, I could see a philanthropic character donating the material or perhaps the formula for the material to clothing manufacturers for making clothes to be donated to high crime areas.  Living in the suburbs of Chicago, there is unfortunately multiple shootings almost every week with a lot of innocent bystanders getting hurt or killed.  Sorry if that's a little heavy.

[assault]

It would be subject to the same laws as Real World body armour.

 

Its concealability would be used to justify an increase in the firepower available to law enforcement.

[assault]

How realistic is your campaign world?  If it parallels the Real World, I could see a philanthropic character donating the material or perhaps the formula for the material to clothing manufacturers for making clothes to be donated to high crime areas.  Living in the suburbs of Chicago, there is unfortunately multiple shootings almost every week with a lot of innocent bystanders getting hurt or killed.  Sorry if that's a little heavy.

 

Free body armour for gang members? Nice.

[BoloOfEarth]

 

Carbon fibre comes in flexible sheets, then gets held in shape by resins and such. Most of the strength is still in the fibre, and while it might not yield, it will be floppy once the matrix has spalled off in an initial impact, but that's generally okay for that sort of protective function.

 

 

Good to know.  Objection withdrawn.

[whitekeys]

I can't see there being much effect on society. As with most things in this diverse culture we live in, some people are really into some things, where others are not.

 

In America, I see a market in people who already own guns, and for the same reason they own and carry a gun, they own and wear POW. In Canada, I see no such market.

[freakboy6117]

Obviously the question with superscience is reproducibility does the wonder material take unusual ingredients or exotic techniques to manufacture. It might be easy to make a small batch with your inventors existing lab but scaling up to industrial levels might run into problems. Or it might just be crazy expensive.

 

Alternatively you might run into the man in the white suit problem the wonder material might prove to be unstable under non controlled circumstances like UV saltwater or just breaks down overtime.

 

Finally there might be unforseen complications like asbestos and cancer or just bullet proof criminals.

 

Unstable molecules in the marvel universe had all these issues substances that rendered them inert specific repulsor frequencies that make them break apart. An instability that if not addressed causes them to self replicate consuming everything in there path plus they cost a fortune.

[freakboy6117]

Oh I can imagine the Canadian hunting community would embrace it as would people who might encounter violence professionally doorstaff (bouncers) repo men and unfortunately nurses and EMTs

 

If protect-o-weave really is light and flexible I can see ballistic headwear being a big use to stop those Kennedy and Lincoln situations. Think bullet proof baseball hats like this http://www.bulletsafe.com/bulletproof-baseball-cap.html but 360 protection and probably lined with something like D3O https://www.d3o.com a lightweight material that hardens to spread impact and protect against concussion.

[freakboy6117]

Bolo it depends on the strength of the material but the Holy grail for zeppelins is vacuum if you have a material light and strong enough that you can literally pump all the air out and have it weigh less than air without collapsing. Of course on the other extreme really really big hot air zeppelins using radio isotope thermal generators to both heat the air in the canopy and generate electricity.they would basically fly for ever as long as the heat loss was well balanced. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator

[Crusher Bob]

And here's an example of why just having access to a 'better' material does not always make that much difference.

 

TLDR version, carbon fiber automobile frames have been around for a while.  They weight on the order of half as much as steel frames.  They cost on the order of 10-20 times as much as steel frames.  BMW has been trying to reduce the costs of carbon fiber frames so their electric cars can make up for the weight of all the needed batteries by having a much lighter frame.  This hasn't been working out that well for them, as this makes their 'mid range' electric cars quite expensive.

 

So, not only does your 'super material' have to have awesome materials properties, it has to be economic to use. 

 

As an example of what might suddenly make protecto-weave everywhere:

Protecto-weave fibers can undergo signifcant heating without losing their properties.  This allows you to cast steel around POW fibers.  So you can make ridiculously strong POW-steel constructs at very economic prices.  And then it's POW-steel in automobile frames, buildings, bridges, and other civil engineering works, and I don't know what all else.