Improving energy dissipation to lower concussion risk in football helmets

Abstract

American football is notorious for being a high impact sport. There exists an especially high amount of danger to each player's brain, created in part by gameplay, but also from the helmets worn by the athletes. Football helmet pads were comparatively investigated, in order to find a better alternative that can lower the amount of acceleration on the brain. A new pad system was introduced that allows for the force to be dissipated horizontally, through use of a dashpot-like center, also employing a foam shell to assist in the vertical energy dissipation. The pad currently used, along with the new dashpot system were further tested inside helmet shells on a head form drop test, and compared to the national standards that regulate athletic equipment.