Amidst COVID-19, as manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) strive to fabricate fitting products, technology makes strides in the fight against the pandemic – to protect athletes from coronavirus.
With the effort of LSU in partnership with a technology startup at Louisiana – new helmet cooling technologies developed. This is for made-to-order air circulation devices for athletic helmets with the objective to protect players from coronavirus. Operated by fans, the new devices are undergoing testing by LSU players.
With such an add-on, this will help players stay cooler and more comfortable on the field, and thus allow athletes to wear their helmets and other COVID-19 safety gear longer.
To commercialize the technology, the LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization has filed a permit for the new helmet cooling and flow technologies. The technology is modular, and thus is suitable to be used in combination with almost any off-the-shelf protective helmet that is available in the market, and not only football helmets.
Technology versatile for use with other Protective Gear
“At LSU, player health and safety is top priority,” said the football coach. The staff makes sure for players to have the best equipment and technology for their safety on the field as much as possible.
An added advantage of these new solutions is it can be combined with other protective gear such as lenses, visors, and face guards.
However, such solutions have a downside too. While they are important for the safety of athletes from COVID-19 – they have the tendency to fog up. This can obstruct the player’s view and increase overall body temperature, to potentially lead to fatigue and perilous health conditions, including heat stroke.