Nano-Composite Foam Sensor System in Football Helmets

Dual-Sensing Piezoresponsive Foam for Dynamic and Static Loading

Polymeric foams, embedded with nano-scale conductive particles, have previously been shown to display quasi-piezoelectric (QPE) properties; i.e., they produce a voltage in response to rapid deformation. This behavior has been utilized to sense impact and vibration in foam components, such as in sports padding and vibration-isolating pads. However, a detailed characterization of the sensing behavior has not been undertaken. Furthermore, the potential for sensing quasi-static deformation in the same material has not been explored. This paper provides new insights into these self-sensing foams by characterizing voltage response vs frequency of deformation. The correlation between temperature and voltage response is also quantified. Furthermore, a new sensing functionality is observed, in the form of a piezoresistive response to quasi-static deformation. The piezoresistive characteristics are quantified for both in-plane and through-thickness resistance configurations. The new functionality greatly enhances the potential applications for the foam, for example, as insoles that can characterize ground reaction force and pressure during dynamic and/or quasi-static circumstances, or as seat cushioning that can sense pressure and impact.

Impact and workload are dominating on-field data monitoring techniques to track health and well-being of team-sports athletes

Participation in sports has become an essential part of healthy living in today's world. However, injuries can often occur during sports participation. With advancements in sensor technology and data analytics, many sports have turned to technology-aided, data-driven, on-field monitoring techniques to help prevent injuries and plan better player management. This review searched three databases, Web of Science, IEEE, and PubMed, for peer-reviewed articles on on-field data monitoring techniques that are aimed at improving the health and well-being of team-sports athletes. It was found that most on-field data monitoring methods can be categorized as either player workload tracking or physical impact monitoring. Many studies covered during this review attempted to establish correlations between captured physical and physiological data, as well as injury risk. In these studies, workloads are frequently tracked to optimize training and prevent overtraining in addition to overuse injuries, while impacts are most often tracked to detect and investigate traumatic injuries. This review found that current sports monitoring practices often suffer from a lack of standard metrics and definitions. Furthermore, existing data-analysis models are created on data that are limited in both size and diversity. These issues need to be addressed to create ecologically valid approaches in the future.

Describing headform pose and impact location for blunt impact testing

Reproduction of anthropomorphic test device (ATD) head impact test methods is a critical element needed to develop guidance and technologies that reduce the risk for brain injury in sport. However, there does not appear to be a consensus for reporting ATD pose and impact location for industry and researchers to follow. Thus, the purpose of this article is to explore the various methods used to report impact location and ATD head pose for sport-related head impact testing and provide recommendations for standardizing these descriptions. A database search and exclusion process identified 137 articles that met the review criteria. Only 4 of the 137 articles provided a description similar to the method we propose to describe ATD pose and impact location. We thus propose a method to unambiguously convey the impact location and pose of the ATD based on the sequence, quantifiable design, and articulation of ATD mount joints. This reporting method has been used to a limited extent in the literature, but we assert that adoption of this method will help to standardize the reporting of ATD headform pose and impact location as well as aid in the replication of impact test protocols across laboratories.

Method of complex development of psychomotor qualities in precisely-targeted sports

The purpose of the study: the determination of the effect of special precision-target exercises on the level and structure of psychophysiological indicators, physical and technical preparedness of players at the initial stage of training. Material and methods. The study was attended by 22 young footballers 10-12 years old. The subjects were divided into two groups (control and experimental) for 11 people in each. The control and experimental group trained the same amount of time for the same progips, but in the experimental group, in the main part of the class, used the technique of complex development of precision-target movements. Measured the level of physical and technical preparedness, as well as the level of psychophysiological functions of athletes. Results. It is shown that the experimental group experienced significant improvements in the techniques of football due to the development of precision-oriented skills. Really improved results of physical and technical preparedness of athletes of the experimental group were revealed. The control group is also characterized by a significant improvement in testing results by level of technical and physical fitness, but not reliable or at a lower level of significance. The positive influence of the method of complex development of precision-target movements on the psychophysiological indices of athletes is shown. It was shown that after the experiment, the number of reliable interrelationships between the indicators of psychophysiological functions and the indicators of technical and physical fitness in the experimental group increased, and in the control remained unchanged. Conclusions. The application of the experimental methodology for the development of precision-target movements positively influenced the level of technical and physical preparedness, psycho-physiological indicators, as well as the structure of the complex preparedness of athletes.

Wearables and the medical revolution

Wearable sensors are already impacting healthcare and medicine by enabling health monitoring outside of the clinic and prediction of health events. This paper reviews current and prospective wearable technologies and their progress toward clinical application. We describe technologies underlying common, commercially available wearable sensors and early-stage devices and outline research, when available, to support the use of these devices in healthcare. We cover applications in the following health areas: metabolic, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal monitoring; sleep, neurology, movement disorders and mental health; maternal, pre- and neo-natal care; and pulmonary health and environmental exposures. Finally, we discuss challenges associated with the adoption of wearable sensors in the current healthcare ecosystem and discuss areas for future research and development.