The Premise. Head injuries and concussions are always serious and must be treated accordingly. Short of going to the hospital, however, it’s difficult to detect when a concussion has occurred. Athletes are especially susceptible to such dangers and need to be constantly monitored for safety.
The Product. The Jolt Sensor is a small device that lives on an athlete’s helmet, headband, or goggles. It’s white, discrete and hooks up via Bluetooth to smartphones. The Jolt Sensor is sensitive enough that it can detect when a concussion may have occurred based on the wearer’s head’s acceleration rate. When such an injury has been sustained, it sends a signal to a parent or coach altering them to the player’s condition. Jolt runs on a multi-week battery and can be recharged using a USB cord.
The Pitch. The campaign video goes through the dangers of head injury as well as the common occurrence of athlete’s getting back into the game too quickly after being hurt. One of the creators had one such injury wrestling and sustained brain damage due to improper care of his concussion. The rest of the campaign goes into specs of the Sensor as well as the manufacturing schedule for the product. Jolt Sensor is looking to raise $60,000 in a month on Kickstarter.
The Perks. Early birds can enjoy the Jolt Sensor for $80. At a regular rate, the Sensor will cost backers a $100 donation. Bigger tiers offer multi-packs of the product. Sensors are expected to be delivered in May 2015.
The Potential. Any way that athletes can be safer is always welcome. Many are pressured to push through their injuries in the name of the game, so it’s great that Jolt Sensor has found a way to support an athlete’s claim that they may be seriously hurt. The only apparent drawback of the Jolt Sensor is that, if fallen directly upon, it may break or push a dent into the wearer’s head. Still, the idea that concussions can be detected early and treated is a welcome concept for members of any sports team.