May 16, 2017New Helmet to Debut
In an effort to reduce concussions, several NFL teams will begin using a new helmet. Touted as delivering a breakthrough in safety, the ZERO1 helmet features a soft outer shell backed by supporting columns underneath to slow down impacts.
According to an article from CBS Sports, 25 teams in the NFL have bought the ZERO1 and will begin using the helmet this spring. Although it is designed to look like a traditional helmet, the ZERO1’s soft outer shell provides a cushion for collisions. Inside, each helmet has a patch that can be customized.
“What we heard when we were doing our research was a lot of people describing themselves as modern gladiators,” Ben Collette, Artefact’s lead designer, told Inc.com. “And the last thing you see before going on the field is the inside of your helmet.”
Along with aesthetics, the helmet’s design draws upon the physics formula for force—which is the product of mass and acceleration. By expanding an impact’s amount of time, the helmet allows acceleration to decrease.
The results added up. In a lab test on 33 helmets, the ZERO1 came out on top.
