Ice hockey players can be quite susceptible to concussion due to the rigours of the game, and can often be unaware of receiving it until the dangerous effects occur later on. Canadian Michael Vaughn has created a possible solution to the problem of not detecting the immediate signs of concussion with a special helmet. Containing a force sensor that is read by an Arduino-style board, the level of shock is displayed using LEDs on the side of the helmet. Then it is easy for the team coach to determine which players have received a dangerous shock and pull them from the game. For example:
For more information and plans, visit Michael's page here. And we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.
When developing your own Arduino-embedded projects, consider the Freetronics LeoStick. Apart from being one of the smallest Arduino-compatibles on the market with USB, it also has an onboard RGB LED and piezo which can be used a knock sensor, perhaps removing the need for the external force sensor in this project.
