Guarding Against Concussions: Startup Auxadyne Makes Ultra-Cushioning Foam For Helmets, Prosthetics

In the battle against the damaging effects of concussions, and with the ongoing need for better cushioning for prosthetics, new tools are always welcome. Auxetic foam is one – it expands as it’s stretched and shrinks when compressed, offering much more effective cushioning than regular foams. (Think about the exact opposites of the ways a marshmallow acts when it’s squished and a rubber band behaves when it’s stretched.) It has myriad other uses too, so when a proprietary method of making this revolutionary foam was developed at Florida State University (FSU), the potential was huge.