The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies was actually founded last year when the U.S. Army awarded MIT $50 million for their winning proposal, but last week they formally launched the institute at the dedication of its new facility. Various corporations (e.g. Raytheon) are kicking in an additional $40 million to fund the center. Their areas of focus in the military uniform/armor realm are “protection, performance improvement and injury intervention.” Thus, exhibits at the kick-off included magneto-rheological (MR) fluids which may be used for armor that stays flexible but hardens when hit with a bullet, a “selectively permeable” fabric that can protect against chemical and biological agents, and mocked-up uniforms with futuristic exoskeletons. One day, my raingear will be something more than Goretex, and my husband’s motorcycle gear will be something more than Kevlar.