It seems that concussion-type injuries are exacerbated when the head is accelerated hard about the vertical axis of the neck.
This causes neurons in the frontal brain regions to be particularly severely stretched and damaged.
Today’s invention is a modification to safety helmets so that they can respond to incoming impacts (illustrated as pressure waves in blue).
When accelerometers in the helmet detect a dangerous rotation rate about the neck axis (shown as a cross), compressed air jets located on the chin and forehead are activated, so as to resist the impact force profile.
There would be two jets pointing left and two pointing right to deal with impacts from either side.
This lowers the rotation rate of the head itself, minimising possible injuries to the frontal lobes.
