Riddell Unveils New Wireless Helmet Impact Technology
(SPORTS TECHNOLOGY)
Player’s safety has been a hot topic in the National Football League lately, and the NFL has taken the necessary steps to make the game safer for players. First there was the introduction of new, safer Riddell Revolution (News - Alert) helmets in 2002. Then, they enforced a penalty for the slightest tap from any body part to a quarterbacks head. Then there is the defense receiver rule, where hitting a player who cannot properly defend himself is a penalty. Now, they are mandating all NFL players to wear every piece of equipment for the 2013 season.
Riddell’s latest innovation, the Riddell InSite Impact Response System, may be the greatest leap in player safety to date. The Riddell InSite Impact Response System is designed to specifically detect concussions as they happen. The system works by monitoring and wireless transmitting the head trauma players receive from blows to the head.
The InSite Impact Response System will be inserted somewhere inside of the helmets lining and will measure the impact on a five point scale. If the impact measures outside of the allowable limit, a warning will be sent to a monitor on the sideline that will warn the coaches and training staff. Based on the team’s policy, the player can then be evaluated to determine whether it is safe for said player to re-enter the game.
Aside from immediate impact measurements, the system will be able to record equipment assignments to player and monitor the impact exposure over time for each player. It will be available to monitor teams of up to 150 players. The system will be available for purchase beginning in the spring of 2013 and should most commonly be used in youth and high school football, with no timetable or if it will ever make its way into the college or professional game.
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Edited by Brooke Neuman
