Cohort 1 of the GE Next Engineers program spent the week on campus at the University of Cincinnati participating in an engineering design challenge that focused on the impact of concussions, titled “Mind Your Head”. Students explored the causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries and researched the impact helmets have on preventing severe head injuries. In small groups, students worked through the engineering design process to build a helmet that seeks to protect a water balloon from bursting when dropped from a height of 2m.
Students also had the opportunity to visit The Human Injury Research and Regenerative Technologies Lab and learned more about the research being done by Professor Eric Nauman. Professors Nauman’s team explores the development of technologies that advance injury prevention and, when that does not work, novel treatment methods. Recently, the HIRRT lab studied a wide variety of football helmets to determine the best performing helmet at preventing concussions, as well as seek to identify the most vulnerable spots on a helmet.
