Back in 2013, the NFL was hit with a class action lawsuit from retired football players who suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. This is a condition related to repeated trauma to the head, often associated with contact sports like football, soccer, and boxing. It has been known to result in depression, dementia, and suicidal thoughts. The league ended up paying off $765 million in a settlement, and quickly began looking for new ways to protect its players from harm. And now, 3D printing may be providing the solution they need.
As part of the league’s new Head Health Initiative, researchers have been looking into new impact absorbing materials to line players’ helmets with. A microlattice material, the Architected Lattice, is showing great promise. This material, which is being produced with the help of a 3D printer, has the advantages of being lightweight, breathable, cost-effective, and able to cover the entire inside of a helmet. Equipped with a strain-sensing “smart lattice”, a helmet could gather new information so as to allow researchers to continuously improve upon the design and performance of their protective gear.
