Oklahoma Company Creates Bulletproof Blanket to Protect Kids During School Shootings The backpack-like bulletproof shield may represent one of the most tragically apropos inventions of our time.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Silly though it may sound, an invention called the Bodyguard Blanket is no joke. In fact, the backpack-like bulletproof shield -- whose aim is to protect children from school shootings and natural disasters such as tornadoes -- may represent one of the most tragically apropos inventions of our time.

As such events become more prevalent, an Oklahoma company fittingly called ProTecht is now bringing its creation to market after nearly 10 months in development.

At 5/16 of an inch thick and composed of the same bullet-resistant material used by the U.S. military, wearers are meant to shroud themselves and huddle in the event of an emergency -- not unlike a turtle retracting into its shell.

Related: 13 Accidental Inventions That Changed the World

In addition to bullets, the bright orange shield protects against tornado projectiles like nails and shards of metal, reports The Oklahoman, and makes it easier to spot victims buried under debris.

Though $1,000 a pop might sound pricey, the Blanket's inventors said they represent a cheaper and faster -- though not necessarily more effective -- alternative to building tornado shelters.

The product's creator is an Oklahoman podiatrist named Steve Walker, who shared his sketch with another inventor -- and one of his patients -- Stan Schone. The ProTecht executive team is rounded out by engineering professor Jay Hanan, who advised that they employ a cutting-edge material called Dyneema, which is five times stronger than Kevlar.

Related: The 3 Building Blocks Every Successful Product Shares

Subjected to the same ballistics tests used to analyze police officers' bulletproof vests, production will happen locally in Oklahoma, they said, in order to ensure quality control.

A somewhat harrowing video the team created to introduce the project can be viewed below:

Related: Starbucks CEO Asks Customers Not to Bring Guns Into Stores

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Business News

Zillow Predicts These 10 Places Will Have the Hottest Housing Markets in 2025

Zillow predicted that the hottest housing market of 2025 will be Buffalo, New York. Here's why.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Masculine Energy Is Good': Mark Zuckerberg Tells Joe Rogan He Thinks Companies Need More Aggression

On the most recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said corporate culture has become "neutered."

Business News

'More Soul-Crushing Than Ever': Popular Hiring Platform Finds Around 20% of Its Postings Were 'Ghost Jobs'

Is that job listing too good to be true? There's a one-in-five chance that it might be.

Growing a Business

5 Risk-Taking Lessons From Founders Who Bet Big and Won

Discover the bold moves and strategic risks that catapulted these entrepreneurs to success. Learn how their fearless decisions can inspire your own path to growth.