If you have been following the news about injuries suffered by football players, you may be interested in this development. According to an article from Jan. 13, the University of Florida has a team that is working on designing a safer football helmet for the future, which could prevent brain injuries to those playing in nonprofessional and professional sports. It has allegedly taken months, but through the research, the team has been working to develop a system of fluid-filled reservoirs that will absorb more of a blunt force than the materials normally used in football gear.
Right now, no tests have been performed with humans involved, because the research is still in the early stages of development. Still, the hope is that the design will replace any kind of padding used in protective headgear, which could range from football helmets to motorcycle helmets. According to the news, the initial inspiration for the new gear came from the movie “2 Fast, 2 Furious,” because a certain scene involved a car crashing into a barrier of water-filled canisters.
Because the water is able to move and dissipate, it absorbs a great amount of energy from the impact. That would make helmets a one-time use item, which wouldn’t work in most cases. So, the team is working to combine a fluid-filled reservoir with an empty reservoir, which would allow the helmet to be used multiple times without having to replace the reservoirs.
If you work in sports or even own a motorcycle, this could be technology that protects you in the future. However, if you have already suffered a brain injury at work or in another type of incident, you could be able to seek compensation for your injuries.
Source: The Gainsville Sun, “UF duo designing a better helmet to curb head injuries” Jeff Schweers, Jan. 13, 2014