Roll Cage consists of a magnesium frame that increases the rigidity of the bottom of the notebook. As a result, system board flex is greatly reduced (when taking it around a corner, for example), and at the same time drop resistance is greatly increased.
In some models, you can also find this brace for the display, making the screen (and laptop lid) more resilient.
The Next Generation ThinkPad Roll Cage is composed of carbon and glass fibres placed directly in the plastic lid of the laptop. In this case, a magnesium frame is not used for the display (although it is still used in the bottom). The new generation brings many benefits, such as increased strength (42%) and a lighter frame (by as much as 78%); moreover, the optical fibre does not prevent transmission of the antenna signal.