ConTech

Inspiration

First off, it was mainly because one of us used to be on the football team, and realized how severe and common concussions were. Additionally, digital influences such as the movie Concussion helped.

What it does

The helmet detects, analyzes, and stores the impacts that a football player receives to different parts of his/her brain. Additionally, the analytics software provides better insight in a easy to understand format.

How I built it

We used several tools to help solder the pins together and also used a breadboard to organize our materials. We connected the microcontroller and accelerometer, and used the Arduino software to integrate it and help develop code for Bluetooth communications.

Challenges I ran into

Configuring the different sensors and coding the communications between the accelerometer and the Bluetooth module. Additionally, with the limited resources, we had to use some unconventional tools.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

In less than 24 hours, we were able to develop a fully functional sensor based helmet that provided accurate values and helped gather data for further analysis.

What I learned

Bring tools and be prepared to fail. But, keep persevering and work with what is available around you.

What's next for ConTech

Next, we would like to fully develop a mobile app which serves even greater functionality than the website. Additionally, the use of electroencephalogram (EEG) and pressure sensors will be of great use in the future.