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Richard Maltzman
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A citrus fruit schools us on material science and project leadership (Part 2 of 2)
A citrus fruit schools us on material science and project leadership (Part 1 of 2)
Black Tape Over the Engine Light
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You Can't Get They-ah From Hee-yah
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Date
In
Part 1, I discussed the characteristics of the
pomelo and how scientists and engineers and others in project teams are using biomimicry to allow human-made materials to behave in this shock-absorbing manner. As a reminder- here's a bit of a summary of Part 1:
The real story isn't the pomelo itself. It's the idea that nature has spent millions of years conducting R&D, and project leaders, engineers, and innovators can learn from those solutions.The Pomelo as Nature's Safety EngineerA pomelo fruit can fall 30 feet from a tree and survive with its interior intact. Development engineers look at this capability and ask (as they do any time biomimicry is applied), "How did nature solve a problem we've been trying to solve for decades?"The answer isn't a hard shell. It's a sophisticated, layered structure that:- Absorbs energy gradually
- Distributes force across multiple layers
- Prevents catastrophic failure at a single point
- Recovers from deformation
In other words, the pomelo doesn't resist impact—it manages impact. That distinction is critical.From Ideation to Operations: The Project Management AngleThis is a textbook example of how innovation moves through a technology maturation pipeline:
As you can see, multiple functions of organizations – and across organizations – are working together for a common objective. Notice a pattern here?
This is where project leaders need to shine.
One Application: Football* HelmetsModern football helmets already incorporate foam layers, but helmet designers face a difficult challenge:
- Too hard → force transfers to the brain
- Too soft → insufficient protection during severe impacts
- Too heavy → reduced player performance
- Too bulky → reduced usability
The pomelo suggests a different approach.
Instead of a uniform foam, the pomelo (as you saw in part one of this post) takes advantage of:
- Variable-density cellular structures
- Layered energy absorption zones
- Gradual force dissipation pathways
- Different responses to different impact magnitudes
This is remarkably similar to what researchers at Texas A&M are modeling.
The goal isn't necessarily a stronger helmet – it’s a helmet that behaves more like a pomelo peel.
Beyond FootballThe implications extend well beyond football – hockey, cycling, military, youth sports, vehicle safety – the list is significant.
BiomimicryInstead of starting from scratch, biomimicry asks:
"What has nature
already figured out?"
Nature's solutions are frequently:
- Resource-efficient
- Lightweight
- Resilient
- Adaptable
- Sustainable
The pomelo is a perfect example.
Millions of years of evolutionary pressure produced an elegant impact-management system without steel, electronics, batteries, or AI.
This effort, however, as we’ve seen above, needs
project leadership.The value chain here goes something like…
·Botanists studied a fruit.
·Materials scientists studied its structure.
·Engineers modeled it.
·The Navy funded applications.
·Sports equipment designers and users will ultimately benefit, potentially reducing injuries and saving lives. That's delivering value.
Closing Thought and SummaryThe pomelo reminds us that innovation does not always begin in a lab – sometimes it begins in a tree. The project leader’s job is to notice, translate, test, and deliver value throughout that change.
Learn More*I know we’re in the midst of the FIFA World Cup – so I need to be clear, here I am not talking about football as most of the world refers to it, but rather the one with the oblong ball and a quarterback and touchdowns – and helmets
Posted
by
Richard Maltzman
on: July 01, 2026 12:00 AM |
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