SPORTS HELMETS
FOOTBALL HELMET TESTING
IMPROVING TEST METHODS TO REDUCE HEAD INJURIES
The Challenge:
- Develop new testing methodologies for helmet-on-helmet concussion testing
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Mechanical Engineering lead a research project with the goal of reducing sports related concussions and traumatic brain injuries
- UAB studied game footage to analyze and “worst case” impact scenarios for testing
- Working with off-board data acquisition systems with cables that can tangle and cause issues with noise or data loss
- Accurate, repeatable test data
The Solution:
- Rugged DTS data acquisition systems and sensors
- Two Hybrid III crash dummies were suited up in full football gear
- One dummy head was instrumented with embedded SLICE NANO data recorders, plus triaxial linear accelerometers and angular rate sensors
- Positioning the DAS near the sensors eliminates trailing cables and improves data quality
- UAB engineered an 80-foot railed track with a motorized sled to recreate impact scenarios
- Set-up time was significantly reduced, no issues with cables tangling or altering test dynamics
- Store in place reliability, data writes directly to non-volatile flash memory
- Easy to use software for set-up, viewing and data export
- Reliable, repeatable test data to validate new methodologies
- DTS expertise in injury biomechanics testing
For more information contact sales@dtsweb.com
“Integrating DTS systems inside the ATD allows test engineers to replicate real-world hits and better understand what kind of forces players are really experiencing on the field.”
