Enhancing the Biomechanical Design of the Football Helmet (Concussion Prevention) Pt. Ii

Overview

Concussion research has become a very relevant topic across various media outlets. In the NFL there was an increase of 58% on the amount of concussions during the regular season in 2016. Concussions are very serious injuries to the brain and there needs to be as much data as possible to continue preventing their occurrence. The purpose of this continued research study was to seek a solution that would help with the prevention of concussions in the sport of football. The hypothesis stated that, If there was an attachment added to cover the brain-stem area of the football helmet, then there would be a decrease in the kinetic energy measured. To test this theory a Pendulum Impact Machine was used in the Impact Biomechanics Lab at Virginia Tech University to replicate the force of impact and measure the outcomes. The prototype was placed at the brainstem area of the football helmet and is used to protect the skull by distributing force that could lead to concussions. Impact was conducted on the front, back, and side of the helmet, with and without the created prototype. The resultants that were reviewed were Peak Angular Acceleration, Peak Angular Velocity and Peak Linear Acceleration. Findings display that, the data partially supported that the prototype has the ability to distribute/lessen the force on the football helmet.