The protective and safety products company ProTecht has developed a new blanket called the Bodyguard for kids to use during school shootings.
The bulletproof blanket is now available and on the market, after researchers spent almost 10 months working on the device, according to Entrepreneur.
The Bodyguard is 5/16 of an inch thick and is made from the same bulletproof material that is used by the U.S. military.
The material was designed so that it could be folded up and then unfolded to be used as a shelter for the body, CNET reported.
Straps on the blanket help hold it in place, similar to a backpack. The Oklahoma-based company posted a video of the blanket going through a ballistics test.
The blanket is being introduced at a time when school shootings are becoming more frequent, The New York Daily News reported.
"As a bullet enters the Bodyguard Blanket, its incredibly strong materials 'catch' and deform the bullet. This deformation of the bullet occurs within the layers of the blanket and allows a high degree of energy absorption," ProTecht said.
The Bodyguard is also capable of protecting users from nails, shards of metal, and other tornado projectiles. It can also make it easier to find people under debris after a disaster, Entrepreneur reported.
The executive team for ProTecht includes Steve Walker, Oklahoman podiatrist and creator of the blanket, Stan Schone, an inventor and one of Walker's patients, and Jay Hanan, an engineering professor. Hanan advised that the team use a material called Dyneema, which is five stronger than Kevlar, for the blanket.
The Bodyguard is currently priced at about $1,000. However, the company is looking to partner with schools and nonprofit organizations to make the blanket more affordable to the public, CNET reported.
The blanket is not the first bulletproof product developed for schools. A bulletproof whiteboard that also works as a shield was introduced earlier this year.
