Imagine a sports helmet that acts like a black box for the brain. It uses built-in sensors to track every hit a player takes and uses AI to spot signs of a concussion that the human eye might miss. It's like having a digital doctor inside the gear to tell a coach exactly when a player needs to stop for their own safety.
Contact sports cause millions of brain injuries annually, but 90% of people do not lose consciousness, making concussions hard to detect. This leads to permanent disability and billions in healthcare costs.
A smart head guard prototype embedding triaxial IoT sensors and AI algorithms to detect concussions in real-time.
If you are a league operator dealing with high injury rates and liability — this project developed a smart head guard that reduces linear impacts by 75% and rotational impacts by 55%. It provides real-time alerts for concussion risks to protect athletes from permanent disability.
If you are a gear manufacturer dealing with outdated foam helmets that don't stop brain rotations — this project developed a clinically validated sensor system and AI diagnostic tool. This allows you to offer a product that actually predicts brain injury probability based on real-world player data.
If you are an insurer dealing with the €17B annual cost of concussion management in the EU — this project developed a system for early detection of mTBIs. By identifying injuries early, it can reduce the long-term neurological complications that drive up treatment costs.
Concussion management and treatment costs approximately €17B annually in the EU, with forecasts suggesting this will rise to €20B by 2030.
The objective specifically targets athletes in rugby, football, baseball, and boxing, indicating a broad application across various contact sports.
Based on available project data, the technology builds upon the 'NPro' headgear, which is already World Rugby approved, and introduces new AI-enabled diagnostic features.
The system uses IoT-enabled triaxial sensors and AI algorithms to provide real-time detection and alerts, allowing for immediate intervention during a match.
The project period runs from March 2022 to December 2024, with a work programme specifically designed to accelerate time to market.
The project is led by a single SME, Contego Sports Limited from Ireland. This lean structure (1 partner, 100% industry ratio) suggests a highly focused commercial drive and a direct path to market without the typical delays of academic-industrial coordination.
Contact Contego Sports Limited in Ireland regarding NProSend licensing.
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