Ancient art of paper folding inspires design of light-weight ballistic shield; Swift Shield delivers new safety options for law enforcement, military, personal security and other markets
ATCS (Advanced Technology Compliant Solutions) today introduced a true step forward in ballistic protection with the Swift Shield. The patented design is based on origami (the ancient art of paper folding) principles that enable it to collapse down to the size of a notebook for storage. When needed, the Swift Shield instantly unfolds to provide six square-feet of light-weight, NIJ Level IIIA ballistic protection. The shield is being unveiled at the SHOT Show, booth 32009 with strategic partner, AEGIX Global, who will be selling and marketing the Swift Shield into the law enforcement space.
“The world has seen very little practical evolution in body armor since the introduction of Kevlar®, nearly 50 years ago,” said William Benz, President and CEO of ATCS. “According to an FBI study, in recent years, 67 percent of police officers shot and killed in the line of duty were wearing body armor such as a vest when they were killed(1). This was the motivation behind the development of the Swift Shield because, while vests are necessary, there was something more—something different that was desperately needed. The Swift Shield provides new options to protect those who put their lives on the line in the service of society every day.”
The innovative origami design is based on research conducted and patents filed by members of the Compliant Mechanisms Research Group (CMR) at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah: compliantmechanisms.byu.edu. The 2018 paper, “Origami-Based Deployable Ballistic Barrier,” describes how recent developments in “origami crease pattern adaptation, surrogate folds … enabled the development of an origami-based deployable ballistic barrier.”(2)
ATCS secured exclusive licensing rights from BYU, and then leveraged engineers, materials experts, law enforcement professionals, and combat military veterans to develop state-of-the-art practical solutions. The Swift Shield is the first real-world application of this technology.
“In a world of active shooters, the Swift Shield represents a new category in personal protection in law enforcement because it is ready to deploy-and-protect any time,” said Chet Linton, CEO of AEGIX Global. “83 percent of officer deaths are in or around their vehicles and the shield offers a new level of protection. Its foldable nature makes it possible to store in an officer’s car door, in between the front seats or backpack. It can be deployed on a windshield, folded in half on top of the trunk or hood of an officer’s vehicle. The tactical applications for the shield are endless.”
Swift Shield Product Features
- Origami Folds: enable rapid deployment with small storage footprint
- Fully Deployed Size: 24” x 36”, provides six square feet of light-weight ballistic protection
- Armor Level: NIJ Level IIIA, provides protection against most common threats
- Weight: 5 lbs.— low weight makes it easy for anyone to use and move quickly with
- Advanced Armor Materials: Armor plating made of specially processed ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene materials
- Exterior Materials: Hypalon® (chlorosulfonated polyethylene) provides a chemical resistant, waterproof and flexible yet firm covering that can be provided in a variety of colors or patterns
