American football is a beloved sport in the US, but, as with every fun activity, there are dangers that lurk beneath. Will Smith’s starring role in the 2015 documentary Concussion sparked some controversy, as the documentary detailed problems with the sport — namely, how it causes CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, within NFL players over a long-term career.
Samsung is now taking up the torch to help improve the quality of life for those who are most affected by CTE: the players and their families. The Korean giant has announced its brainBAND project, a bold initiative to shine a light on the dangers of concussion. With the help of dual international rugby player Israel Folau, Samsung was able to construct and test an athletic headband that can record the impact of tackles during sport play and relay it to referees, coaches, and medics. Samsung brought together the #mixedtalents of experts in different fields and, armed with the latest connective technology, set about finding a way to tackle the dangers of concussive forces in contact sports. The benefit of the #brainband is that medics will be able to tackle problems immediately, rather than allowing injuries to wait and fester until they cause further, long-term sustainable damage.
The brainBAND project is in its infancy, with many changes ahead, but Samsung’s newest initiative (said to run on Tizen Micro OS, the IoT system expected to be unveiled next month at Samsung’s SDC 2016 Conference) opens up a world of possibilities for athletes and has the potential to ensure that American football remains a beloved national sport for centuries to come. Athletes give us the best of their efforts on the field; they too, have the right to medical treatment that ensures they continue to “play” the sport, not live or die from it.
You can learn more about the brainBAND project by watching the video below:
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTy07pkxEO0
