We told you about the Riddell Revolution IQ HITS helmets, which are fitted with sensors that help, detect injury to the footballer. Working on similar lines, the Military has teamed up with the Private Sector outfits to come out with better protective equipment for civilians and soldiers. The aim is to considerably reduce the number of traumatic brain injuries sustained each year. Tom Goodwin, with Virginia College, explains the purpose of the study. "We have these sensors around the helmet picking up the force of the blow and also the direction so we can look at that and see where most of these blows are occurring," he said. The U.S. military is jointly participating, here using test dummies. General George Casey, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, says the Army is also testing the helmet. "We're experimenting now with helmet devices that will measure the velocity of a soldier's head as it moves, and the soldier will go back to a base and it can actually be downloaded onto a computer so we measure what that soldier (has) been exposed to," explained Casey. Hopefully with these sensor-laden equipments, doctors will be able to treat trauma victims more efficiently.

The helmet sensors still being perfected are scheduled for use in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008. Another piece of equipment under development is the wobble plate. Neurologist Dr. Thomas DeGravo uses this device to measure blood flow to the brain.

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