The Speed Helmet was designed around the head's center of
gravity, and is intended to reduce the prevalence of concussions. Recent data has brought the issues of football concussions to the public attention. An estimated 5 percent of high school players suffer concussions each year, and there is a widening body of evidence suggesting that long-term football players to a type of brain damage called
chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Since most concussion-causing impacts occur on the side of the head and face, the helmet features
mandible extensions which the cover the wearer's jaw line. The helmet is lined with a custom fit cellular air pad system made of
polyurethane and
synthetic rubber foam, and the shell is made of a
polycarbonate alloy. A lightweight
titanium face guard is attached to the helmet.
HITS technology The Revolution helmet can be mounted with Head Impact
Telemetry Systems (HITS) technology, a
microprocessor, a
radio transmitter, and a system of six
accelerometers placed inside the helmet which measure the force, location, and direction of an impact on the helmet. When a player's head accelerates due to a collision, the
acceleration is registered and brought up on a computer as a three-dimensional image of the head with the location of contact marked with an arrow. A
bar graph is used to indicate the force of the blow. While players and staff may be able to use this information in determining whether a player requires medical attention, there is currently no medically conclusive method of determining which impacts might lead to a concussion. ==Injury prevention research and controversy==