Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. Lisa MacFadden
Second Advisor
Dr. Jessie Daw
Third Advisor
Dr. Thayne Munce
Keywords
Football helmet, internal padding, acceleration, force reduction, material design
Subject Categories
Systems and Integrative Engineering
Abstract
Football helmets have evolved significantly to improve player safety and reduce the risk of concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Early leather designs offered minimal protection, while modern helmets use advanced materials to absorb and distribute impact forces more effectively. To support ongoing helmet safety research, a custom 3D-printed headform modeled from a human scan was equipped with a WitMotion BWT901BLECL5.0 accelerometer and used in controlled drop tests. The study evaluated various internal padding materials including spray foam, two sizes of bubble wrap, Oobleck, scrub sponges, KTOESHEO foam, Hijelyn air pillows, and the standard padding from a Riddell Victor youth helmet. The helmet and headform were dropped from a consistent five-foot height and acceleration forces were recorded across three trials per material. While KTOESHEO foam and Oobleck showed the lowest average acceleration and variability, a one-way ANOVA showed no statistically significant differences (p = 0.170), suggesting internal padding alone may not greatly improve impact protection. A major limitation was the ±16 g range of the accelerometer, far below expected impact forces, likely resulting in saturated, inaccurate data. Consequently, conclusions drawn from this data are unreliable. This research highlights the value of additive manufacturing and accessible materials for testing but also underscores the need for appropriate high-range accelerometers and more realistic headform systems in future studies to ensure valid results and better inform holistic head protection strategies.
Recommended Citation
Pigman, Spencer J., "AMERICAN FOOTBALL INTERNAL HELMET PADDING MATERIAL AND DESIGN TESTING" (2025). Honors Thesis. 383.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/383