Engineers at BAE Systems released their next-generation Headborne Energy Analysis and Diagnostic System (HEADS) helmet sensor. The debut follows a recent $17 million award from the U.S. Army for BAE Systems' HEADS Generation II sensor, which is designed to better monitor soldiers and assist in the identification and diagnosis of combat-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI). "Diagnosing mild to moderate combat-related TBIs can be challenging. For example, following an explosion from a roadside bomb, soldiers will sometimes continue with their mission, unaware that the concussion from the blast may have lingering effects," says Joe Coltman, vice president of BAE Systems' Personnel Protection Systems business. The sensor itself is small, lightweight, and can be secured inside virtually any combat helmet. It is designed to continuously collect critical, potentially lifesaving data, including impact direction, magnitude, duration, blast pressures, angular, and linear accelerations, as well as the exact times of single or multiple blast events. That information is then securely stored until it can be quickly downloaded and analyzed by medical teams using a simple USB or wireless connection.
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