We love Black people in STEM!

Twin brothers Xavior and Ilyaas Motley are taking something people use every day and imagining it in a whole new way.

The brothers are the co-founders behind ARMA, a patent-pending spray-on glove platform designed to rethink hand protection across multiple industries. According to the Motley Twins’ website, ARMA is being developed as a custom-fit glove system engineered with spray technology for medical, food, and industrial spaces.

Their idea began while they were students at Ohio University, where the university reported that the brothers were working to revolutionize protective gloves through their company, then known as Armadillo Protection, LLC. The twins, who both earned full-ride scholarships to play Division I football, started exploring how spray-on technology could be used to create better protective gear.

Now, their work has grown into two connected ideas. ARMA Disposable Stealth is focused on everyday hand protection for fields where gloves are used constantly, while ARMA Sport is being developed as a custom-fit sports glove built for an athlete’s exact hand.

In a LinkedIn post, Ilyaas shared that ARMA’s materials are being developed to be skin-safe and aligned with food-contact requirements, while additional performance data and technical details will come through pilots and testing.

For the Motley twins, the goal is not just to create another glove. Their work is about building something that could make protection feel more seamless, personalized, and practical for the people who use gloves every day.

From food and medicine to industry and athletics, Xavior and Ilyaas Motley are showing what Black innovation can look like when imagination meets engineering.

Black innovation looks good on them.