Researchers looking to design materials to withstand vibrations have traveled to tooth enamel for inspiration . Scientists at the University of Michigan looking for hard materials that can survive repeated shocks found that the structure of enamel was consistent across dimensions and robust enough to withstand the lifetime of a tooth . Researchers tested the enamel structure by growing zinc oxide nanowires on a chip , layering two wires over the wires and baking the two together . Under testing , the technology diffused the forces from vibrations . The goal is to automate production of the material , which could lead to more resilient products such as flight computers .
Researchers looking to design materials to withstand vibrations have turned to tooth enamel for inspiration. Scientists at the University of Michigan looking for hard materials that can survive repeated shocks found that the structure of enamel was consistent across species and robust enough to withstand the lifetime of a tooth. Researchers recreated the enamel structure by growing zinc oxide nanowires on a chip, layering two polymers over the wires and baking the two together. Under testing, the structure diffused the forces from vibrations. The challenge is to automate production of the material, which could lead to more resilient products such as flight computers.