Purpose of Project

Impaired cognition associated with head injuries are more understood in sports. In horse racing, helmets are tested under a standard that only accounts for linear motion; it fails to address rotational motion, another contributor to brain injuries. The proposed solution was to create a system with a compliant surface that measured translational and rotational acceleration of headforms. The group focused on a release mechanism that allowed a headform to be released at varying angles. This testing mechanism may provide data to improve helmet testing standards that subsequently impact helmet design to prevent injuries resulting from head trauma.