Based at the Edinburgh Business
School (EBS) Incubator [1] within Heriot-Watt University, the innovative
technology has been developed by start-up company HIT.
Featuring a unique impact sensor, wearable across multiple sporting and
activity applications, the device universally clips onto any helmet or halo
headband, detecting G-Force and recording impact via a companion app.
Utilising a traffic light system, the app records data and acts as an early
warning notification for the user regarding the level of impact force
recorded and highlights the caution required in continued exercise.
Founder Euan Bowen, 28, an avid rugby player, was inspired to develop the
technology, named HIT Impact, after a close friend and teammate was injured.
With brain injuries rarely reported, Bowen spotted a gap in the market for
sportspeople to track brain health.
Bowen explains "While studying for my degree, a close friend was injured during
a game which made me curious about the impact of sub-concussive head
knocks. I found little technology available to monitor head impact despite
the severity of the issue across different sports. As a member of a rugby club
in Edinburgh, I began researching and developing a project, working
closely with the team to develop an initial prototype.
"HIT Impact uses technology to monitor and identify user impact levels
throughout a game in real time. It works by creating a baseline level of force
incurred by the user and tracking any impact throughout their playing
time. Once the baseline is met, the user is then removed from play to prevent
further impacts. They can then be assessed using current concussion
guidelines to deem their fitness to return to play. By tracking these impacts,
we can collect data anonymously and build a data bank of situational head
impact data to aid further research and understanding of traumatic brain
injuries.
"High impact sports are focusing increasingly on concussion mitigation with the
Field (Football's Influence on Lifelong Health and Dementia Risk) study
recently finding that former professionals are three and a half times more
likely to die of dementia than the general population.
"In 2018, I secured a place in the Edinburgh Business School Incubator at
Heriot-Watt University, which provided an ideal platform for me to validate my
innovation and identify suitable markets. The move provided access to
invaluable business advice and entrepreneurial training within an immersive
environment with like-minded individuals. Developing your own company can be a
lonely experience but incubator support can revolutionise the journey from idea
to market for an entrepreneur like me."
The sensor is accompanied by an app which has a 150m range and is capable of
recording for multiple devices. It also features a ‘Team Play' recording
function for sports like football and rugby.
During the pandemic, HIT has catalysed future plans for product development,
subsequently launching its first Kickstarter campaign to enable the company
to move into production within two months.
Kallum Russell, Manager of the EBS Incubator said: "HIT Impact is a much-needed
technology to track and support the current efforts to increase sports safety
at a time when governing bodies across high impact sports are increasingly
focused on minimising head trauma.
"The current parliamentary inquiry into concussion recently heard evidence
about the long-term implications of repetitive head trauma on sports people
with MPs asking how sports could be made safer. We believe this innovation
could go a long way to aiding research and supporting more informed decisions
about when to stop playing.
"As lockdown restrictions continue, we are supporting the development of
innovative new products and services like HIT Impact using a combination of
virtual seminars, speaker opportunities, online networking events and
mentoring services. By continuing to accelerate the progression of new
companies at the start of their business journey, we hope to help drive
economic recovery and growth."
HIT is currently running a Kickstarter Campaign [2] to raise funds to manufacturer its latest innovation. Please click on above link to view their progress, or to participate.