Drop Tester for Smart Phone Protective Film

Have you seen this impressive video that shows what happens when you drop a steel ball onto a piece of Gorilla Glass 2 (used in the display of many smart phones, including the iPhone) with and without the protection of a clear polymer material called Rhino Shield?

Rhino Shield was developed at  Evolutive Labs, a Cambridge University spin-off company, using Kickstarter funds. The inventors claim that it is five times more impact-resistant than Gorilla Glass 2.  (Gizmag has the story here.)

Eric Wang of Evolutive Labs wrote to tell me that he is a fan of MAKE, and that he learned how to use the Arduino from reading MAKE. (The force sensor on the drop tester is Arduino-based. ) In fact, he says, MAKE was an inspiration for the creation of the drop tester itself, which is called Brutus.

I like the Lego control box with the red button that sits under a clear safety bubble (click the image for a closer look).