Concussion is no joke. Repeated concussions are believed to cause cumulative damage, leading to mental problems for a range of different athletes.
Among those at risk are American Football players.
Many attempts are being made to lessen the problem by redesigning helmets.
Today’s invention approaches the issue from a different direction.
Players would have a uniform limit set on their momentum. This would be achieved by fitting boots with studs in the shape of overgrown ballpoint pen nibs.
Accelerometers in the boots would detect someone’s change in speed during a play. Once their momentum reached the limit, the balls in their studs would be forced outwards, allowing the balls to roll against the astroturf and causing them to lose some traction.
The heaviest linemen and linebackers would thus have a speed limit imposed on them that was much lower than the lighter, faster players.
This would stop them from colliding with players with momentum sufficient to cause even small-scale brain damage.