Wearable Impact and Health Monitor Wins element14’s Sudden Impact Challenge

A wearable impact and health monitor was named the winner in the “Sudden Impact” design competition, organized by the element14 Community. As part of the challenge, 12 individuals from around the world competed to develop wearable health solutions that can detect and even prevent sports-related injuries.

The winning design, created by element14 member Cosmin Iorga of the U.S., features a main helmet unit that measures head impact, body temperature, tilt, global positioning and even brain activity. A separate electrocardiogram chest module measures heart rate, and both units provide data and alerts to an Android smartphone app. A real-time player monitoring system from Ravi Butani of India took home runner-up honors.

The Sudden Impact competition is a part of the community’s “Engineering a Connected World” initiative designed to drive innovation by connecting engineers to powerful new ideas, the latest technologies and to each other. As part of that initiative element14 surveyed 3,500 adults worldwide, and 68 percent agreed healthcare should be top priority in technology and innovation moving forward. 

“Big congratulations to Cosmin, Ravi and all of the ambitious challengers who took part in the Sudden Impact design competition,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14. “As with most real-world problems today, element14 believes engineers can create a preventative solution to the issue of impact-related sports injuries. We’re particularly proud of leading an initiative that athletes and consumers alike want to see addressed.”

“Tektronix congratulates Cosmin and Ravi for the innovation and design work that led to them winning the Sudden Impact Challenge” said Gina Bonini, Director Americas Marketing for Tektronix. “To develop working wearable prototypes requires a keen sense of market needs and the knowledge and skill to manipulate advanced technologies to achieve the desired result. The health monitor designs the winners and the other 12 contestants submitted are truly remarkable and could well point the way to improved sports injury prevention.”

Cosmin’s project won the top prize - a Tektronix MD03104 Oscilloscope valued at $14,200, MacBook Air and Withings Home HD Sensor - for its diagnostic capabilities, portability and replicability. Ravi will take home a CEL-Robox 3D printer as the runner up. Each completed solution was rigorously tested by researchers at the School of Computing, Creative Technologies and Engineering at Leeds Beckett University.

“Impact injuries have led to detrimental consequences for athletes all over the world and advancements in wearable systems and sensors are enabling engineers to develop creative solutions to this problem,” said Professor Reinhold Behringer of Leeds Beckett University. “Congratulations to all of the participants of the Sudden Impact challenge. We’re proud to have played a role in evaluating and testing each of these talented competitors’ projects.”

Behringer and his team judged each project in categories that included: ambition and sophistication, setup and installation, usability, measurements and cost effectiveness.

The other projects that were tested included: a real-time coach and athlete monitoring system from Austin Horning in the U.S.; a sudden impact helmet and uniform sensor system by Dragan Knezevic in Serbia; a helmet-mounted ski monitor from Hendrik Lipka in Germany and a helmet-mounted trauma monitor and heart reactor by Douglas Wong in Canada.

To aid in their designs, all 12 participants receive a kit of advanced components from Analog Devices, a Tektronix MSO2024B oscilloscope, advanced polymers from Electrolube and a $500 budget from Newark element14 for additional parts and purchases. Each competitor who finished will receive a Withings Plus Sports Watch to monitor their activity, track sleep and improve overall health.

To view content from all 12 Sudden Impact challengers or to learn more about the award-winning, 350,000-member element14 Community of design engineers and technology enthusiasts, visit www.element14.com/suddenimpact.