Experimental study on energy absorption of bionic tubes inspired by bamboo structures under axial crushing

•Bionic design was introduced to increase the axial energy absorption for thin-walled tube inspired by bamboo structure.•The three types of bionic specimens were prepared by 3D printed and machined.•Bionic specimens under axial impact were tested by the drop weight test.•Eight of fourteen bionic specimens can increase the SEA compare with circular tube.•Bionic design provided a new guideline for the structural design of thin-walled tube. We report an experimental study on three new types of tubes inspired by the cross-section and nodes of bamboo with the aim of improving the crashworthiness of three types of cylindrical metal tubes: Bionic Tubes of Variable Thickness (BTVTs), Bionic Tubes with Rib (BTRs), and Bionic Tubes with Bamboo Cross-section (BTBCs), respectively. The EA capacity and deformation modes of the bionic tubes and a cylindrical tube were experimentally investigated in this study by drop-weight test. The drop test results revealed that 8 of the 14 bionic specimens exhibited greater SEA than the CT. And these results indicate that the bionic method can improve crashworthiness and affect the deformation mode under certain conditions. Different bionic feature have different effects on the deformation of thin-walled tube. Further research is required to optimize the bionic cross-section, rib, and thickness for the new types of tubes.