Riddell Sports Group has acquired a new Head Impact Telemetry system, or HIT, from Simbex LLC. This new technology will allow Riddell to produce a consumer product which monitors and records the severity and incidence of impacts taken by a player via small sensors in the helmet, similar to those that trigger air bag deployments in cars. The sensors forward data to a computer on the sideline, allowing team trainers and physicians to monitor and assess on-the-field impacts and potential concussions immediately.
Riddell said that this new product will also provide the ability to utilize the field data collected by the HIT System to gain a greater understanding of the biomechanics of head impacts and concussions, which could help the company design better protective equipment in the future.
“One of the most exciting aspects of this acquisition is the ability to leverage the insight and biomechanical data we will collect concerning head impacts as a regular part of football,” said Bill Sherman, president and CEO of Riddell Sports Group. “From this data, we can continually refine our products to provide the best possible standard of care for athletes.”
This technology could represent a first step towards the next generation of smart apparel. Polartec recently received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. government to research similar real-world feedback systems and for the development of electronic textiles for the Armys Combat Casualty Care program.
