Designed concussion prevention

This was a project for a collaborative studio with designers and nurses.
My teammate Kyle Cypher and I worked with nursing students Tyler
Brundridge, Mercedes Fussnecker, and Elizabeth Whiting Magg to
design a concussion-preventing product for women's lacrosse players.

Women's lacrosse has a high concussion rate

After football, lacrosse has the second highest concussion rate of any sport.
We identified four reasons it is so high.

Concept Directions

Through our research we were able to identify some key areas that could
be leveraged to prevent concussions in women's lacrosse.

Concept Ideation

Based on the concepts identified in our research, we brainstormed and
ideated several different options. As our research continued, we identified
awareness training as the most appropriate solution.
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Influential Interviews

We met with two neurologists who work with awareness training to enhance
athletic performance and prevent concussions. We had our two biggest
breakthroughs after talking with Joe Clark PhD, and Adam Kiefer PhD.

360° Awareness Training Dome

The training dome takes the form of a self-erecting tent. The height and width
are adjustable to accommodate all athletes. The dome is lined with touch-sensitive
lights that beep and light up when the user is prompted to touch that area. The
product records the data generated by the athlete and is made accessible through
the application which allows users to track improvement.

Prototyping

We built a full scale prototype which was easily disassembled and reassembled
for use in multiple settings. This prototype helped us understand the size and
volume of the dome and allowed us to test mobility inside the dome. We also built
a working prototype of a light sensor.