Biomedical Engineering research group featured in an Engineering Society of Detroit article on sport helmet safety

A research team focusing on helmet safety out of the Biomedical Engineering department was featured in Technology Century, a publication of the Engineering Society of Detroit. The team includes Liying Zhang, associate professor of biomedical engineering, King Hay Yang, professor of biomedical engineering and director of Wayne's Bioengineering Center and Albert King, distinguished professor of biomedical engineering. The group has used the finite element computer model for designing helmets that will reduce mild traumatic brain injuries sustained by athletes during primary or secondary impacts.

"Our research revealed that wearing a conventional helmet does not change rotational acceleration much, but does reduce translational acceleration. In addition, our studies revealed that brain response exhibited increased directional sensitivity to a side impact of the head than to the forehead impact, which suggests that helmet design needs multi- or omni-directional protection to the brain from any conceivable impact," Zhang reports.

To read more on the group's research visit http://ww2.esd.org/_TC/TCv19n4.pdf