Teen invents 'concussion detector' for car accidents

Motorists and vehicle passengers may soon benefit from an in-vehicle system that can detect concussions in case of a car accident —invented by a 16-year-old.

 

But what makes the invention intriguing is that it was the brainchild of Justin Krell, who said he merely wanted to do things that help people.

 

Dubbed "HardHit," the system can help detect if someone may have suffered a concussion during a car accident by calculating G-forces experienced, tech site Mashable reported.

 

It will then compare the levels with those that could cause concussions or other traumatic brain injuries.

 

"Everybody's brain is just a little bit different and their body is just a little bit different. so some people will have a concussion or TBI [traumatic brain injury] quicker than other people," said Krell, a sophomore in Plankinton High School.

 

Krell said information about how a person's head moved during an accident could help responders quickly determine if a person should get an MRI or go into surgery upon arrival at a hospital.

 

He is now refining the technology further so it can text message that information directly out to first responders.

 

Future versions could be individually personalized to incorporate a person's risk factor for a concussion.

 

Tracking head movement

 

Using an infrared proximity sensor, a microcontroller and an accelerometer, the HardHit system can track head movement during a motor vehicle accident and alert emergency responders with that data.

 

The Arduino-based system takes readings every one-and-a-half milliseconds and runs the data through a special equation.

 

It logs real-time data on a MicroSD card that can be taken out and analyzed.

 

The latest HardHit prototype does not touch the actual driver or passenger, as it uses a small opening in a seat's headrest for the sensor. 

 

While Krell has not implemented HardHit in an actual vehicle, he has tested his working prototypes in test rigs. — TJD, GMA News