In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, programs across the country like LSU football are taking precautions to keep players safe and healthy ahead of a season that will be far from normal.
The first helmet design LSU released earlier this summer wasn’t exactly met with rave reviews, with offensive lineman Austin Deculus saying it was like trying to breathe “in a ziploc bag.”
So, the program went back to work to develop something that worked better. On Aug. 21, the LSU Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization filed a patent that featured cooling and circulation technology.
Here’s a look at a portion of the release.
This newly developed technology, meanwhile, leverage the existing passive air vents near the back of the helmet by making them active, sucking air into the helmet with small battery-driven fans attached to a set of flexible tubing. The tubes can be customized and mounted to the inside of the helmet to direct air wherever it’s needed, usually forward and downward over the face, toward a visor or plastic face shield. For increased safety, N95 filter materials can be added at the intake.
The issue of fog, which was a concern with the first design for some, was taken into consideration.
“Players always talk about how nice it is when there’s a breeze outside, and this new helmet technology creates a similar sensation of coolness,” LSU Director of Athletic Training Jack Marucci said. “The benefit is even greater for players who wear protective eye shields because it eliminates the possibility of any fog developing inside that can obstruct the player’s vision.”
LSU is set to begin the season against Mississippi State on Sept. 26 in Tiger Stadium.