The durability of woodpeckers’ skulls is not the result of hard bones. Their head has multiple components that divert vibrations from the brain to prevent trauma.
This inspired engineers to perfect the design for the black boxes they have on airplanes. The black boxes have been around since the 50s but still had some shortcomings. Even if they are extremely durable, there is still a chance that black boxes may not survive an airplane crash.
Engineers learned from the skull anatomy of woodpeckers and developed a new, multi-component black box that is 60 times stronger than previous designs. The new design has 4 parts that closely resemble the skull of woodpeckers and looks promising even outside the aerospace industry.