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They may look like standard football helmets — but these skull shields are about as standard as Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Impala. The basic form is there, but everything else has changed. The aim is to cut the 300,000 concussions that players — from Pop Warner to NFL teams — suffer annually. In January, Riddell, the granddaddy of helmet makers, rolled out its Revolution IQ HITS, equipped with sensors and real-time monitoring tech. And Vin Ferrara, a former Harvard QB who endured his share of head knocks, will start selling his air-cushioned Xenith X1 this fall. Hut, hut, hike!
Roll over the numbers below to see the helmets' features.
Illustration: Bryan Christie
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var copy1 = "Xenith X1, shock absorbers:Eighteen 2-inch-diameter hollow thermoplastic pucks, each with a small hole for airflow. On contact, they flatten like saucers and reinflate in 0.003 seconds, compressing farther and dissipating more impact energy than standard foam.";
var copy2 = "Xenith X1, shell:Polycarbonate, with vents running up the back to provide a natural exhaust system.";
var copy3 = "Xenith X1, flexible bonnet:Pulley system with a drawstring and straps cinches this pliant insert to ensure a snug, custom fit on the player's noggin.";
var copy4 = "Xenith X1, chin piece:High-impact polycarbonate on the outside, soft silicone layer inside. Houses the pulley for the bonnet's drawstring and straps.";
var copy5 = "Xenith X1, face guard:\"We left it the same,\" Ferrara says. \"We didn\'t want to change everything at once.\"";
var copy6 = "Revolution IQ Hits, shell:Polycarbonate that flexes to dissipate energy.";
var copy7 = "Revolution IQ Hits, accelerometers:Six sensors send real-time data to a sideline laptop (or store it for later review), measuring the severity of a hit in g forces. Concussions become more likely at 98 gs and up.";
var copy8 = "Revolution IQ Hits, padding:Polyurethane foam panels. The majority of hits land in front, but most concussion-inflicting knocks make contact at the sides.";
var copy9 = "Revolution IQ Hits, face guard:Helmet button disconnects the cage, enabling easy access to a player in distress.";
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Get product reviews and news about digital cameras, computers, laptops, mp3 players, iPod, PDAs, phones, PCs, Macs and wireless from Wired.com {...} Published: July 26, 2008, 5:00 am - Indexed: July 26, 2008, 1:25 pm - Page Size: 47KB |