Developed from research done at Napier University, the Head Impact Trauma unit is being used by the 555 RAAW Gravity Racing Team.
Designed to creating a baseline for monitoring head impacts, HIT’s helmet unit is paving the way for a better understanding of how we deal with head trauma on the bike.
555 RAAW Gravity Racing is a UCI Mountain Bike Team racing UCI downhill World Cups. The young Team consists of four riders aged between 17 and 27 years of age. Injuries and particularly head injuries unfortunately go hand in hand with the sport.
Cuts, bruises and bone breaks are very tangible, obvious to the laymen and medic alike and treatment is advanced and well understood. Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries known as concussion, are very different.
They can occur from just riding fast over rough terrain, landing jumps and drops in addition to more obvious impacts following crashes. Although there are some classic symptoms we currently have no way of monitoring, recording or accurately diagnosing these injuries which can occur from a one off bang and also an accumulation of smaller knocks. Frightening.
“We have a duty of care and moral obligation to look after our riders and do everything we can to utilise available tech in order to prevent all injuries to our riders” said Team Manager Dr Mark Goodwill. “When I heard about HIT Ltd and the fantastic, cutting edge research they were conducting on monitoring, recording and analysing the data from head impacts it was an absolute no brainer to work with them, excuse the pun.”
The small, inexpensive unit HIT Ltd have developed fastens safely onto the helmet, the rider is oblivious to its existence, but the unit continually monitors impacts. The data is downloaded to the bespoke companion App giving the rider a clear indication of impacts personalised for their age, weight and activity.
“This personalisation is important as a recent scientific paper in Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine concludes female athletes are more susceptible to concussions and experience worse outcomes than male athletes.” says Goodwill.
“This technology possesses such promise and benefit that it would be great to see a day where it’s widely accepted and utilized as well as closer to being a mandatory process in bike racing. It offers the ability to not only manage concussions but also all the data and experience obtained will help go towards understanding brain traumas and treatment better and potentially aiding helmet manufacturers improve helmet safety.”
This technology possesses such promise and benefit that it would be great to see a day where it’s widely accepted and utilized as well as closer to being a mandatory process in bike racing. It offers the ability to not only manage concussions but also all the data and experience obtained will help go towards understanding brain traumas and treatment better and potentially aiding helmet manufacturers improve helmet safety.
