Guardian Cap Effectiveness on Reducing Impact Accelerations and Enduring Player Health at the Collegiate Football Level

Abstract

Using the Prism Neuro System and conducting impact testing, the study looked to evaluate the effectiveness of Guardian Caps. The Prism Neuro system gave us the ability to test proposition and visual skills of MIT Football players in season and out of season, and analyze their performance. We quantified how in season and out of season results differed, and compared results between players who wore Guardian Caps in games and players who didn’t. Trends indicated that athletes experienced an improved testing performance out of season. Building a drop contraption and conducting impact testing on helmets equipped with a 500g sensor helped provide the necessary data to determine the effectiveness of Guardian Caps. Overall, impact testing helmets resulted in promising results in terms of the ability of Guardian Caps to reduce maximum impact acceleration.