At U.S. Army All-American Bowl, High School Players Using Concussion-Detecting Helmets

Jan 8, 2011

The 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, which puts the talents of the nation's top high school football players on display, is now in progress. The bowl is attracting plenty of attention, since we're likely to see a handful of players who will make their mark in the NFL someday.

The game is also turning some heads, thanks to the introduction of a bit of interesting concussion-detection technology. The players' chin straps are equipped with sensors that detect the force of impact:

Outside the strap is a light indicator. Green means you're fine. A yellow blinking light means there's a 51-percent chance you have a concussion. A blue light means there's a 70-percent chance, and red means 90-percent chance.

This is certainly the first I've heard of this technology. It apparently isn't cumbersome -- one player interviewed said that they aren't bulky or otherwise hindering. This certainly makes it more likely for football institutions to adopt the technology, which is always a good thing.

Source