Local

New helmet technology to help combat concussions

It’s a new take on the traditional helmet to help prevent concussions.

A Swedish company created MIPS, which stands for multidirectional impact protection system.

The inner layer shell, which rotates upon contact, is designed to help combat the rotational impact and reduce the impact energy.

Right now, MIPS is mostly in bicycle and snow helmets.

Kristi Sweeney, an Associate Professor of Sports Management at UNF, said as technology improves, helmets have gotten better and provide more prevention from head injuries.

“As we've had advanced technologies, organizations have put more money into clearly protecting people's heads, which is one of our most valuable assets,” Sweeney said.

According to the company’s web site, MIPS’ added protection system has been proven to reduce the rotational motion when implemented in a helmet by absorbing and redirecting energies and forces otherwise transmitted to the brain.

“The helmet and the padding system would dissipate the force of the impact,” Sweeney said.

Bird Legs Bicycles in Jacksonville Beach sells the MIPS helmets. The manager said he believes helmets will be made only with MIPS systems in the near future.

The helmets run anywhere from around $50 for children to upward of $200 for adults.