To ensure that the impact detection headband performs as intended, it must be tested against the outlined criteria and constraints, as stated in Table 3. The device sends data every 500ms from the ESP32, which is retrieved by the backend approximately every 1 second, in line with initial project expectations. The user-friendly software is capable of alerting high-impact detections, plotting data, and straightforwardly using the device with a button press and an accessible Wi-Fi network. The detachable sleeve design ensures ease of use for removing and placing in the headband.
However, the battery life fell short of performance expectations, with only an hour of continuous usage, which is insufficient for a typical game duration of 90 minutes in sports such as hockey or football. The large power consumption from Wi-Fi usage by ESP32 was not anticipated, necessitating the use of a battery with a higher capacity in future iterations. Additionally, the stiffness and thickness of the final product made it uncomfortable for athletes to wear, reducing its usability under helmets. More padding was added to conceal the electronic components, increasing the thickness of the headband, and reducing comfort. Integrating all electrical components on a PCB will reduce the volume occupied by wiring and decrease the overall thickness of the headband.
The primary objective of the impact detection device is to assess both sub-concussive and concussive impacts, while documenting all instances of impact over a specific period. As previously specified, concussive impacts require a minimum linear acceleration of +/- 70g and rotational velocity of +/-1000 °/s, making them very challenging to simulate. Consequently, only sub-concussive impacts were evaluated. To test the device's capacity for impact detection, the headband was placed on a foam head and subjected to a significant force directly. Additionally, we placed a helmet on the headband and dropped it from a height of roughly 2 meters. The resulting data was then collected and charted onto three distinct graphs: linear acceleration over time, rotational acceleration over time, and pressure over time, which can be found in the following three images.
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