Teen invents concussion detection prototype for car accidents
By Vignesh Ramachandran, Mashable
Justin Krell is only 16 years old but says he really wants to do things that help people.
The Plankinton, S.D., teen has designed a working prototype for an in-vehicle system he calls “HardHit,” which can help detect whether someone may have suffered a concussion during a car accident.
Krell, who is a sophomore in his small town’s Plankinton High School, is participating in this week’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix. This world’s largest science fair brings together about 1,600 high school student finalists from all over the world, who compete for more than $4 million in awards.
Krell is showcasing his HardHit system, which can basically track head movement during a motor vehicle accident and alert emergency responders with that data. The technology uses an infrared proximity sensor, a microcontroller and an accelerometer, which all work together to monitor concussion force impacts in the car. Krell told Mashable that the system takes certain readings every one-and-a-half milliseconds and runs the data through a special math equation.
When a car is in an accident, HardHit can calculate G-forces experienced and 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,” Krell said. “So some people will have a concussion or TBI [traumatic brain injury] quicker than other people.”
Currently, the Arduino-based system logs the real-time data on a MicroSD card that can be taken out and analyzed to help emergency personnel and doctors speed the diagnosis of an injured patient. But Krell is developing the technology further so it can text message that information directly out to first responders.
He says this sort of information about how a person’s head moved during an accident could help more quickly determine whether a person should get an MRI or go into surgery when arriving at the hospital.
The latest HardHit prototype does not touch the actual driver or passenger, since it includes a small opening in a seat’s headrest for the sensor (see attached photos).
Krell has not implemented HardHit in an actual vehicle but has tested his working prototypes in test rigs. He says, in the future, a system like HardHit could be individually personalized to incorporate a person’s risk factor for getting a concussion (e.g., if someone has had a concussion before, they are more likely to have one again). He also envisions HardHit could work with an automobile system like General Motors’ OnStar.
Krell, who was also a finalist in last year’s Intel competition, told Mashable he came up with the idea after he was playing football and knew he had to take precautionary concussion tests. That experience got him thinking about car accidents and concussions, and he began this concussion detection project for cars last fall.
“It’s so interesting to be able to help people and … make the world better, even just one invention at a time; just to save one life …”
Moving forward, Krell said that his true passion is in agriculture and he someday hopes to become a vet.
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair began Sunday and runs until Friday in Phoenix. Winners will be chosen in each of the competition’s 17 categories, and one “best of the best” winner from those selected few will receive $75,000. Two runner-ups will get $50,000.
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