Australian rugby star Israel Folau is an ambassador for the tech.
Samsung is looking to monitor concussions in contact sports such as the NFL with the introduction of the brainBAND, wearable technology that reads the movement of the brain and relays key information to medics, coaches and referees.
A rubber strap that fits around the head of an athlete, the brainBAND features a series of LED lights at its rear which flash when a player has taken a hit, highlighting yellow, orange or red depending upon its severity. The data tracked by the band is then sent in real-time to medical staff and coaches by way of an app accessible via tablets, phones and smartwatches.
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The hope is that the brainBAND, which currently has 10 working prototypes, will eventually be able to inform officials of potential injuries during a match, helping to lessen the devastating long-term ramifications concussions can have on athletes. Developed by Australian neuroscientist Alan Pearce and industrial designer Braden Wilson, a lot of effort also went into designing the look of the band, with the duo wanting it to closely resemble a crown so athletes could “wear it with pride,” according to an interview the pair held with Reuters.
If Samsung eventually chooses to put this tech into production, it could prove to be invaluable to the well-being of athletes in contact sports. Allowing medical staff to make a decision on the fly in regards to whether or not a player should be pulled from the field, the data provided by the tech will also grant players a greater understanding of the effects such contact has on their brains, promoting a wider understanding of the debilitating medical issues concussions present in sport as a whole.
Samsung Australia has handed Pearce and Wilson a grant with the hope of eventually getting the brainBAND into production, so it could eventually make its way onto the heads of Australian rugby union players sooner rather than later. If that is to be the case, then hopefully it’ll also receive international backing in the near future, too.
