Crushing behaviours and impact resistance of skeletal muscle-inspired hierarchical structures

<p dir="ltr">This research explores novel structures inspired by human skeleton muscle tissue to enhance impact resistance and energy absorption. Through experiments and simulations, both single-cell and multi-layered muscle-inspired designs were shown to absorb more energy and provide better impact resistance than conventional structures. Lightweight prototypes were fabricated using aluminium and 3D printing to validate performance under various loading conditions. The results highlight how structural hierarchy improves crashworthiness. This work lays the foundation for safer, more efficient designs in transport, sports, and infrastructure, benefiting society through improved protection, reduced material use, and the advancement of sustainable, bio-inspired engineering solutions.</p>