The NFL launches a technology challenge to improve helmet grilles and reduce concussions

At an innovation summit held on the heels of the Super Bowl, the NFL took another step forward in its quest to protect athletes.

The league officially launched a new edition of the HealthTECH Challenge, an open innovation competition that invites engineers, startups, and university researchers to rethink the design of football helmets.

While past efforts have focused on the outer shell and padding, recent statistics are forcing the league to change its target. Data collected by the NFL shows that 44% of concussions suffered during the last season were caused by a direct impact to the facemask. This is a worrying increase from the 29% recorded in 2015.

Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President of Health and Safety, explains that while improvements to helmets have been successful, it is now imperative to address the absorption capacity of front grids. The goal is to transform these rigid components into intelligent systems capable of dissipating the energy of the impact before it reaches the player's brain.

A $100,000 investment for tomorrow's solutions

To stimulate this wave of technological creativity, the league is pulling out all the stops. The selected winners will share a total of $100,000 in funding. Beyond the monetary aspect, the winners will benefit from expert support to propel their concepts from the prototype stage to actual use on NFL fields.

This challenge represents a unique opportunity for technology companies to redefine safety standards in professional sports. By leveraging crowdsourcing, the NFL hopes to discover revolutionary materials or innovative designs that will reduce the risk of long-term head injuries for future generations of football players.

This content was created with the help of AI.