michaelbiehness: Shockbox Impact Sensor: Helping Fight ...

As long as sports have existed, so have sports-related injuries. One injury in particular that has managed to capture the spotlight over recent years, is of course, the concussion. Head injuries, particularly concussions, have become a serious issue in both professional and youth sports.

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused when a blow to the head or body causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull, sometimes striking the skull and causing neurological impairments. The short-term effects can range from nausea and headaches, to difficulty with concentration, while long term effects of multiple concussions can lead to permanent brain damage and even death.

Throughout the years, better education of head trauma among athletes has led to increased safety precautions. Everything from official rule changes to state of the art safety equipment is now helping to decrease the risk of concussion as well as the permanent effects caused by them.

Despite all the great advances in professional and youth sports, traumatic brain injuries continue to remain a major cause for concern. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

Each year, U.S. emergency departments (EDs) treat an estimated 173,285 sports- and recreation-related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents, from birth to 19 years.
During the last decade, ED visits for sports- and recreation-related TBIs, including concussions, among children and adolescents increased by 60%.
Overall, the activities associated with the greatest number of TBI-related ED visits included bicycling, football, playground activities, basketball, and soccer.

National surveillance in 9 high school sports:

TBI represents almost 9% of all injuries reported in the 9 sports
Numbers and rates are highest in football (55,007; 0.47 per 1000 athlete exposures) and girl?s soccer (29,167; 0.36 per 1000 athlete exposures)
A national survey of all sports- and recreation-related injuries among all ages demonstrates that 31% occurred in a sports facility and 20% in a school facility.

As you can see, these are scary statistics to look at, especially for any parent of a young athlete. So what else can be done to help prevent such injuries? I mean, sports aren?t going to go away, they?ve been much a part of human nature since, well? forever. So what can we do?

That?s one question the fine folks over at Impakt Protective hope to answer.

Concerned over the epidemic of concussions in youth sports, a US Marines technology veteran and a Hockey coach (who also happened to be a software operations guru) teamed up to create a simple, compatible and affordable sensor option for concussion management.

Introducing the Shockbox: a wireless impact sensor that alerts parents, coaches, or trainers when a hit is too hard. While that?s the essence of the device, it?s really much, much more:

Installs on Any Helmet ? The Shockbox attaches to almost any helmet using a new high bonding 3M adhesive tape (included). The sensor will not come off during normal use, and does not damage the helmet.
Impact Analysis ? When the Shockbox experiences a significant impact it will immediately send the raw impact data back to the Shockbox app, which uses complex mathematical analysis algorithms to calculate the impact magnitude and direction and correlate that to brain injury.
Wireless Bluetooth ? Immediate impact notification using the free app on your iOS, Android, or BlackBerry Smartphone. The Shockbox uses long-range Bluetooth technology to transmit an impact up to 100m (328ft) away.
Pair Entire Team ? Pair all your Shockboxes to one phone and receive all impacts on that phone. Whether it?s your whole family, team, or many teams, a virtually unlimited number of Shockboxes can be paired to one phone.
Share Impact Data ? Easily share impact data with others via Email, or one-click contact in an emergency.
Long Battery Life ? An unbelievably long 500 Hr battery life is possible using our active-sleep technology. The rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery charges quickly and reliably for years.

The Shockbox is the perfect example of using all the technological resources available to create an affordable hardware/software product that helps tackle an important issue while improving the quality of life. It?s not often we get to say that about the products we feature here on Cult of Android, but the Shockbox is a brilliant use of resources and we applaud Impakt Protective for their efforts.

Whether you?re a coach, a sports professional, or parent of a young athlete, we highly recommend exploring the option of adding a Shockbox to your list of safety gear. At the cost of $149.99, the Shockbox is no more than you?d pay for a top quality youth football helmet and a small price to pay for peace of mind. Its accompanying app is free to download and can be found in your respective app market.

If you?d like more information about Shockbox sensors or the company behind them, please feel free to visit the source link below.

Play hard, play safe.

Source: Shockbox