Riddell starts shipping concussion-monitoring football helmets

We've seen a couple helmet systems that monitor impacts -- including prototype football helmets -- but Riddell is bringing the tech to market with the Revolution IQ HITS (Head Impact Telemetry System) helmet, which contains a system of sensors that stores data about the last 100 impacts, which can later be wirelessly transmitted to a laptop for analysis. Up to six $999 helmets can be linked to each $299 HITS receiver, and players and trainers can access data via a web app for later evaluation. The helmet is shipping now, and apparently the University of Missouri and several other NCAA schools have already placed orders.

[Via Technology Review]

[David @ Dec 18th 2007 8:32PM]

hah... if I ever get one of these things I will try to drive the computer haywire by launching it out of a catapult

[NHAnimator @ Dec 19th 2007 8:34AM]

Well, then. Out of all this is good and holy in the world, let us in the scientific community hope that you never come up with $999.

[telepheedian @ Dec 18th 2007 8:55PM]

What I'm wondering is why nobody's thought of integrating the wii remote's circuit boards into these helmets, this could be done on the cheap, as long as the range is extended.

[Hung @ Dec 18th 2007 10:57PM]

That's actually a terrible idea. You should never have children. Ever.

[telepheedian @ Dec 19th 2007 8:07AM]

Why is it a bad idea? All you really need for this is some accelerometers, I didn't say that you should duct-tape the remote to the back of the player's head, I said that someone should try to squeeze the circuit boards into the shell or padding of the helmet. The circuit board doesn't even have to be in its original shape, you could chop it up Ben Heckendorn style. If a Wii remote can be used to track the speed of a moving car, surely it could be used to gauge the force exerted on a football helmet in a tackle.

[M. Cooper @ Dec 18th 2007 9:12PM]

These helmets are awful looking. Riddell has ruined the look of football. There is no reason they couldn't have made this helmet round. A whole generation of football players have to look like goobers. Riddell thinks they are bigger than the game.

Please use Shutt helmets.

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 9:38PM]

schutt helmets are heavy. maybe you should play football before going and saying a helmet it better cuz its round.
revolution helmets are light and provide great protection.
riddell vsr-4 are the helmets that people commonly think of as this "round" helmet you are talking about.
riddell makes all of the good football equipment, such as power shoulder pads and revolution helmets.
schutt is cheap and is what middle schools use.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 19th 2007 8:45AM]

It looks like someone works for Shutt. You should try advertising in trade magazines not on forums, if you want sales to increase.

[webon @ Dec 18th 2007 9:13PM]

why this could very the end of football as we know it! I wonder if they will make the results public

[Craig @ Dec 18th 2007 9:34PM]

No idea why you yanks use helmets for football anyway! All these shoulder pads, ridiculous looking helments, leg padding...

Check out rugby, league or AFL to find out what real footy is all about.

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 9:41PM]

cuz big black guys like ray lewis would kill someone without them

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 9:44PM]

unlike scrawny europeans that carry stuff in man-bags

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 9:47PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PULVwe73LM

with no pads, we wouldnt be worrying about reggie bush's slump. he wouldnt be here.

show me a hit like that in rugby or aussie football

[Craig @ Dec 18th 2007 10:04PM]

You want real men playing real rugby?

Check out: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=xvMFHXcd0yQ

and the great Jonah Lomu: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=NS6w_98ye9E

No padding or helmets required!

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 10:14PM]

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Et8b1oxRyNk

for some reason, these look a tit bit worse

[JermTool @ Dec 18th 2007 10:23PM]

We use helmets because football is an actual game of intelligence where the head (brain) needs to be protected. It's not a bunch of down-under douches chasing and tackling each other randomly. Also when you factor in that the linebackers, defensive tackles, defensive ends and some safeties are much bigger AND MUCH faster than the average moron playing rugby, there is a greater potential for head trauma during a tackle. Don't come onto this forum calling us yanks ripping on a real sport. Douche bag.

[Craig @ Dec 18th 2007 10:25PM]

Yeah there are some big hits there!

Lucky they had cushy mattresses to land on.

Oh and helmets that don't seem to do their job because they just fall off. Look more like a hazard to me than a safety device!

[Craig @ Dec 18th 2007 10:31PM]

@JermTool

That's right, gridiron players need their noggens protected so much more because they are so intelligent they can't even handle attack and defence - they need to run an entirely different players on because they can only learn how to do one thing per game.......!

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 10:39PM]

in that entire video, helmets came of twice.
by your logic, shanking your buddy is hazard and pants should not be worn.
o but you rugby players wear boy-shorts from victoria's secret anyways so it doesnt matter.

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 10:46PM]

they can only do one thing?

reverses, draw plays, basic run and pass, pitch, downfield passes, short passes, screens, and much more. thats just offense.

defense- zone blitzes, zone coverages, delay blitzes, man coverage, man press coverage, and alot more

[Craig @ Dec 18th 2007 10:58PM]

Why can't they do both attack and defence?

They even get to stop and think about what they're going to do next whereas in rugby players actually have to call the play, execute and call the next play as the game continues around them.

There's no stopping to let the playmaker have a think and conference about what to do next.

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 11:00PM]

maybe if they had a "conference" there wouldnt be fumbles every 10 or 15 seconds and maybe it would look a tit bit more organized

[JermTool @ Dec 18th 2007 11:28PM]

Craig your reply to me was so stupid that I almost think you play rugby on a regular basis. It didn't even make sense. I re-read it several times and I found no meaning. If you're going to reply, at least make sense out of it.

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 9:37PM]

schutt helmets are heavy. maybe you should play football before going and saying a helmet it better cuz its round.
revolution helmets are light and provide great protection.
riddell vsr-4 are the helmets that people commonly think of as this "round" helmet you are talking about.
riddell makes all of the good football equipment, such as power shoulder pads and revolution helmets.
schutt is cheap and is what middle schools use.

[austin @ Dec 18th 2007 9:38PM]

this was supposed to reply to m.cooper

[Eric @ Dec 19th 2007 7:45AM]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to teach kids how to hit properly?

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 19th 2007 8:49AM]

The harder the hit, the more fun it is to watch.

[Jeff ATC @ Dec 19th 2007 9:55AM]

To whomever wrote the article summary:

The term is "athletic trainers" or "certified athletic trainers." Not "trainers." Please make that correction.

[999 @ Jan 5th 2008 7:43PM]

Test