Research progress of impact-resistance strategies and biomimetic mechanism in animal evolution

After a long period of natural selection, animals in nature have evolved a variety of efficient, reliable, and adaptable impact-resistance strategies and body-protective mechanisms to resist impact loads from the complex environment they live in, protecting the organisms from injury when they carry out the intense biological activities. These naturally biological defensive systems are characterized by superiorly impact-resistance tolerance, highly energy-dissipated efficiency, and reusability compared to the traditional protective structures used in engineering. In recent years, more and more researchers have paid attention to the study on biomechanical behavior and biomimetic mechanism of organisms in resisting impact loading. In this paper, combining the recent studies in this field, we reviewed the latest research progress in impact-resistance strategies and body-protective mechanisms of various animals in nature and related bio-inspired designs and engineering applications. In particular, we summarized and discussed the unique evolutionary process and extraordinary mechanical properties of biological impact-resistant structures under different loading environments and introduced the related investigations on the biomimetic applications in resisting impact loads. Finally, we analyzed the challenges and developments of the research on impact-resistance strategies and biomimetic mechanisms in animal evolution. This review provides practical data for researchers and engineers and offers a useful reference and bionic basis for the impact-resistance and protective designs of reusable energy absorption devices and aircraft structures.