SMART HELMET SENSORS TO MONITOR HEAD IMPACTS IN SPORTS

Over the last decade, significant effort has been directed towards the creation of printed electronics using con- ventional printing technologies. The use of printing technologies to create semiconductors and circuits has overcome some of the drawbacks and high production costs associated with conven- tional silicon technology. A headgear-based system for tracking and monitoring the occurrence of impacts to a user’s head. The present system includes a sensor array disposed on the interior surface of a helmet or other headgear that is adapted to detect when the head contained within the helmet has sustained an impact above a pre- determined threshold value, indicating the potential for the user to have suffered a concussion. The sensor system has multiple applications beyond measurement of head impacts in sports and the military. The sensor and analytical / transmitting circuit can be printed into a wide range of shapes and sizes to conform to any application for aerospace, automotive, construction, sports and the military. Also, the impact sensor can be placed on the outside or inside of a device to detect impacts.