Telescoping shear thickening fluid based object control mechanism

A head unit system for controlling motion of an object, the head unit system comprising:

• a head unit device, wherein the head unit device includes:
• a shear thickening fluid (STF), wherein the STF is configured to have a decreasing viscosity in response to a first range of shear rates and an increasing viscosity in response to a second range of shear rates, wherein the second range of shear rates are greater than the first range of shear rates;
• a chamber, the chamber configured to contain a portion of the STF, wherein the chamber includes a front channel and a back channel, wherein the chamber is further configured to volumetrically expand and contract to provide the first and second ranges of shear rates for the STF;
• a gate, the gate configured to separate the front channel and the back channel to control velocity of flow of the STF between the front channel and the back channel by covering and uncovering an opening within the chamber between the front channel and the back channel, wherein the gate is further configured to enable the STF to provide the first range of shear rates as the STF flows from the back channel to the front channel when the gate is in an open position uncovering the opening as the chamber volumetrically expands, wherein the gate is further configured to enable the STF to provide the second range of shear rates as the STF flows from the front channel to the back channel when the gate is in a closed position covering the opening as the chamber volumetrically contracts;
• and
• a piston housed at least partially radially within the back channel of the chamber, the piston configured to load a spring within the back channel of the chamber in response to the STF flowing from the front channel to back channel when the chamber volumetrically contracts in response to a force applied to the chamber from the object, wherein the piston is further configured to exert force on the STF to cause the STF to flow from the back channel to front channel in response to energy from the spring unloading when the chamber volumetrically expands absent the force applied to the chamber from the object.