Football players at Dalhousie University in Halifax are among the first in Canada to start using so-called smart helmets that transmit electronic alerts whenever a playersa国际传媒檚 head receives an impact that could lead to a concussion.
Each Riddell SpeedFlex helmet sa国际传媒� valued at more than $500 each sa国际传媒� is equipped with sensors that record individual hits and multiple collisions, data used to compile player-specific profiles.
sa国际传媒淲hat the sensors in the helmets do is give us an impact rating,sa国际传媒� says head coach Mark Haggett. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 almost like a smoke alarm sa国际传媒� Itsa国际传媒檚 going to alert the sidelines and wesa国际传媒檒l be able to pull that athlete off the field and assess what that impact was.sa国际传媒�
If the intensity of a big hit or a series of collisions rises above a certain threshold, the signal transmitted to the sidelines is picked up by a wireless monitor that displays an alert.
READ MORE:
The data can be compiled and studied online through a program known as the InSite Training Tool, which could help coaches prevent injuries during games and practices.
The Dalhousie Tigers are already halfway to their goal of raising $40,000 for the new gear.
Haggett says the high-tech helmets represent another tool used by coaches and trainers to keep track of each athletesa国际传媒檚 health. He stressed that the novel technology will not replace strict protocols used on the sidelines to assess potential head injuries.
However, Haggett says itsa国际传媒檚 often difficult to see what is happening on the field when the offensive and defensive lines lock horns.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 very hard, unless you had a drone going 24/7,sa国际传媒� says Haggett, the Tigerssa国际传媒� coach for the past four years. sa国际传媒淭he sensors will take readings of the things we cansa国际传媒檛 see.sa国际传媒�
The thresholds that trigger the alerts are based on a decadesa国际传媒檚 worth of compiling and analyzing data from more than one million hits and collisions on football fields across the United States, Riddell says on its website.
Judy Gargaro, a former researcher who specialized in brain injuries, says she would want to learn more about how the thresholds were determined, given that similar impacts can result in very different outcomes.
sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 so much we donsa国际传媒檛 understand around concussions,sa国际传媒� says Gargaro, director of the Acquired Brain Injury Program at the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.
sa国际传媒淲hat happens if they donsa国际传媒檛 have the threshold quite right, and you make a decision to leave somebody in and that turns out to be a bad decision because yousa国际传媒檝e relied on the technology.sa国际传媒�
Similarly, if the threshold is set too low, that could result in an overreaction, needlessly spreading fear through the team, she says.
Still, Gargaro says she recognized that if the smart helmets are mainly used to complement best practices on the sidelines, then the sensors could prove to be useful tools.
sa国际传媒淚 would just hate for people to think that this has solved all of our problems,sa国际传媒� she said in an interview. sa国际传媒淏ut if itsa国际传媒檚 framed as another tool in the toolbox to further understand (impacts), then sure.sa国际传媒�
Haggett says thatsa国际传媒檚 exactly how the helmets will be used.
sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a lot of eyes on the field, but having the sensors gives us that extra level of safety for our athletes,sa国际传媒� he said.
In recent years, reducing concussions has become a priority in football and other sports.
Earlier this year, former hockey great Eric Lindros travelled to Ottawa to urge the federal government to develop a national protocol for preventing and treating sports-related concussions.
Among other things, Lindros suggested youngsters should be required to take at least a few months off each year from rough-and-tumble sports to give their shaken brains a chance to heal.
Lindros, whose NHL career was cut short after he suffered several concussions, warned MPs theysa国际传媒檇 be wasting their time trying to persuade professional leagues to improve their protocols.
The MPs also heard from former college football player Chris Nowinski, who said athletes used to be shamed into continuing to play after suffering a concussion. But the founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation said theresa国际传媒檚 been progress in persuading athletes that they sa国际传媒渄onsa国际传媒檛 need to be a hero.sa国际传媒�
In January, the NFL said the number of concussions among its pro football players had dropped 29 per cent in 2018 from the previous season. That was the lowest total since the 2014 season.
The league began releasing concussion data in 2012 as it responded to multiple high-profile cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy among former athletes suffering from the long-term effects of concussions.
Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press
Like us on and follow us on
