Helmets may soon be able to protect soldiers more effectively than ever thanks to technology currently used to keep football players safe.
The U.S. Army awarded the University of Southern Mississippi a $4.9 million research contract for the development and testing of a helmet that will better protect U.S. soldiers, the school reported. The university's School of Polymers and High Performance Materials has previously worked on cushioning used in football helmets.
According to The Associated Press, the liner will be a cutting-edge pneumatic cushioning system that provides better protection for soldiers against blunt force impact.
"Southern Miss researchers have an opportunity to accelerate technology that can better protect our men and women in the military from head injuries and brain trauma," said U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi in the Southern Miss news release. "Advances in this area have the potential to be life changing for American servicemembers …"
Staying in communication will provide reassurance when a loved one is overseas.
The current Southern Miss Pneumatic Cushioning technology used in football helmets was made through a partnership with Rawlings Sporting Goods, the university reported. The grant from the military will allow the institute to do further work to develop next-generation pneumatic cushioning that would take the lining to new levels.
According to Southern Miss, preliminary tests in unoptimized prototypes already showed a 30 percent improvement over current Army padding in ambient conditions (70 degrees Fahrenheit), and a 60 percent increase in hot temperatures (130 degrees Fahrenheit). The cushioning technology will continue to be tested over a broad temperature range to reflect the diverse environmental conditions experienced during combat.