As rugby grapples with the long-term impact of injuries on players, a new smart mouthguard technology is being introduced to enhance player safety. These mouthguards are equipped with sensors that measure head accelerations, and when a player sustains a significant impact, an alert is sent to the medical team pitch-side. This could lead to players being removed from the field for head injury assessments. The data collected could also influence future changes to the game and training methods to prioritize player welfare.
- Smart mouthguards equipped with accelerometers, gyroscopes, and proximity sensors are being used in rugby.
- The technology measures head accelerations and alerts medical staff when a player sustains a significant impact.
- The mouthguards are part of the head injury assessment process, potentially increasing the number of players taken off the field for evaluation.
- These devices use Bluetooth technology to transmit real-time data to iOS or Android devices within a range of 50 to 100 meters.
- The technology can detect where on the head or upper body an impact occurred.
- This introduction comes as former rugby players take legal action against governing bodies over health impacts from the game.
- The new technology aims to make the game safer without changing its contact nature but might lead to changes in training and gameplay.
- There is a strong desire within the rugby community to use data from the smart mouthguards to drive evidence-based safety improvements.
- The technology is still new and will be scrutinized as data is collected and the impact on the game is assessed.
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