With concussions in contact sports having doubled in the last 10 years, and a growing awareness of their danger, it has become crucial to gather information about its prevalence and long-term effects.

Unfortunately, until now, we have been unable to collect the data needed to precisely understand the force of an impact.

brainBAND presents a unique and revolutionary way to capture exactly this data, making it available for medics, coaches and referees for real time assessment and logging it for research into long term effects of concussion.

Additionally, the data colleted by the brainBAND provides a unique opportunity to raise awareness in the general public about the forces athletes put their brains under.

Until now it was hard for the general public to understand how hard those forces really were, but with the precise data gathered by the brainBAND it’s now possible to make clear comparisons and diagnoses.

The Samsung brainBAND gathers data about impacts with the help of inbuilt gyroscopes and accelerometers. It then transmits this data to referees, medics and coaches, via connected devices like phones, tables and wearables.

An app gives a precise evaluation of the force of the hits taken by the affected player and whether immediate action is required. It even alerts team mates about the severity of a hit taken by lighting up LEDs on the back of the band, with colors ranging from yellow to orange and red.

The brainBAND takes the guesswork out of subjective decisions about whether a player is concussed or not. We now have a precise way to judge and compare the force of hits and their effects, based on precise data gathered by the Samsung brainBAND.

Although brainBAND collected data about hits and relayed information back to referees, medics and coaches, it did so much more than just giving a numeric evaluation of a player’s short and longterm condition.

This data made the reality of concussions in contact sports visible and tangible, in turn making the news around concussion more compelling.

It led to a behaviour change in the general public by showing them how hard hits in contact sports really are and by giving them clear reasons to believe why exactly these hits are so dangerous.

brainBAND has gained mass attention in the sports community and news media both nationally and around the world. It has been reported on in over 20 countries, with earned media of over $10 million, more than 7 million impressions and a global reach of over 119 million people. Further, the overwhelming reaction to the campaign has convinced Samsung to fast-track the technology for public launch. brainBAND has made an important contribution to Samsung’s reputation as a brand that helps people connect through innovation.

There’s a growing awareness around the dangers of concussion in contact sports.

Unfortunately, there have not been precise ways to measure the strength of a concussion to help stave off its long-term effects. A lack of accurate data lies at the heart of this challenge.

Samsung set out to tackle this as part of its mission to apply technology to human problems in innovative ways.

The result was brainBAND, a revolutionary way to collect, analyse and log real time data about impacts, making it available for immediate assessment and future research.

Collaborating with neuroscientists and sports physicians we found that, despite concerns about the long-term effects of concussions, the only way to collect relevant information about its effects was when long term conditions started to develop.

Additionally, immediate assessment of concussion on the field consisted of vague and outdated methods, ranging from simple finger tests to memory questions. And logging past hits throughout a player’s career was basically impossible using these methods.

The Samsung brainBAND gives a solution to all these problems. It is not only a revolutionary way of gathering and aggregating impact related data, it also provides an innovative way of interpreting this data, immediately making it accessible to referees, players and coaches.

And this does not only apply to the professional level. At a grass roots level, parents and family members are also now able to understand the severity of hits taken by their children.

• Situation

Samsung’s mission is to connect people in new and meaningful ways, always applying technology to a human purpose. As part of this ongoing commitment, Samsung set about tackling an urgent problem in Australian sport: Concussion.

• Brief

To achieve mass positive exposure by applying the very latest Samsung connective technology to solving a meaningful human problem. We identified the problem of concussion, which poses an urgent but invisible danger in contact sports across Australia and around the world.

• Objectives

To gain mass positive exposure by applying Samsung technology and expertise to solving an important real world problem.