Prototype headband to track concussion

The experimental technology has sensors to record the impact on players on the field. It aims to transmit that data in real time to medics, coaches and referees.

Neuroscientist Alan Pearce said the question of whether a player is considered fit to remain on the field after a big tackle, or head clash, is a subjective matter debated on the sidelines.

"That's at the elite level but at the non-elite level, there's no-one there to really assess them properly. Using the device can notify in real time that a player has had a head knock so we have an objective measure for them to come off the field," Pearce told AFP.

The headband could also alert medics to trauma sustained from a glancing or seemingly harmless contact, as the device has LED lights to indicate the severity of an impact.

"So the idea is that if 'weekend warriors' get a head knock they can actually take that data to the hospital and the emergency physician has some objective data to make a more accurate diagnosis," he added.

The headband prototype, which has been tested in Australia by amateur union players to fine tune its design, could also record the smaller knocks that can have a cumulative impact.

"It's not necessarily the one or two big hits but it's those constant, repetitive knocks to the head that don't actually cause any symptoms that are leading to the long-term problems that a lot of the players are having," he stated.

Pearce said much more testing needed to be done but the hope was that understanding more about repeated concussions could help prevent damaging injuries at every level of the game.

Israel Folau, who switched to the sport following stints as a league and Australian Rules football player, said he believed he had been lucky to avoid concussion so far in his career.

He told Sydney's Daily Telegraph that "raising awareness about the subject of concussion in sport is only ever a good thing."

Agence France-Presse