1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,520 Speaker 1: A helmet. It has been developed to try and help 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: with concussion. The AFL, I understand, is having a look 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: at it potentially anyway, or at least their inventor wants 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: them to. Let's meet him, Graham Atti. He's a man 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: from wa Graham Good morning, Good morning, Matthew. How are 6 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: you good? Thank you? Tell me about the helmet? What 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: made you think? Well? What is it first? How does 8 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:23,759 Speaker 1: it work? Let's start with that. 9 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 2: Okay, Well, I started on this, I guess twelve years 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 2: ago when I first decided to try and do something 11 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: about concussion in football and came up with an initial 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 2: design manufactured tested in twenty sixteen. It produced some pretty 13 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,199 Speaker 2: good results, but there wasn't a particularly great interest at 14 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 2: the time. 15 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: And. 16 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: A couple of years after that, I started to think 17 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: about how I could do it better, and so I 18 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 2: kind of started from first principles with the second attempt, 19 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 2: because I decided to design an impact structure from scratch 20 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 2: rather than just a helmet. And so what I've got 21 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: now is this impact structure, and the first product that 22 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 2: we're introducing using that impact structure is a football helmet. 23 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: All right, So you want the AFIL to get interested 24 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: in this. 25 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: Oh, they already are interested and we've been liaising with 26 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 2: them for about a year now. 27 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: Yet how does it work? So I understand foam balls 28 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 1: from what I've read about it cushion a blow. Is 29 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: that right? Yeah, that's right. 30 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 2: Because the properties of balls, you know, like a foam ball, 31 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: is that when an impact strikes, it has fairly low 32 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: resistance initially, and then as the cross section increases and 33 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: it becomes more elliptical that it's gradually squashed, it had 34 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: the progressive resistance to that impact. And so what that 35 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 2: does is it slows the impact down with a nice, smooth, 36 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 2: progressive deceleration. Now that's why balls bounce, and why we 37 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: use balls, you know, in sporting thing. It's because of 38 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 2: those properties. The other good property of using them is 39 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 2: the fact that it doesn't matter what angle the impact strikes, 40 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: it always has those properties. In additions, the balls also 41 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 2: roll around the head as well because they're held together 42 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 2: fairly closely with a light lattice. So it means each 43 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 2: ball can maintain its individual properties and roll around the 44 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 2: head as well. And what you need to do with 45 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: the helmet is make the helmet absorb the impact and 46 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,119 Speaker 2: move with the blow. And not the head, because it's 47 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 2: the movement of the head or the acceleration of the 48 00:02:57,680 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 2: head that creates. 49 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,119 Speaker 1: Concussion and the brain rattles around on the inside. 50 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, it's sort of. It's basically just the 51 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: jelly inside the skull being shaken, and that that stresses 52 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: all the all the jelly, I guess, and so it 53 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 2: weakens from that stress, and that's what creates the head 54 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: injury and concussion and so forth. 55 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: So paint a picture of what it looks like. So 56 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: I imagine, well, these these foam balls golf ball size 57 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: may be a bit bigger, but not quite tennis ball size. 58 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: I know. It's they're smaller than that. They're about an 59 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: inch in diameter. All right, you can you can only 60 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:44,160 Speaker 2: go so far, and then they start to look I mean, yeah, 61 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: you can put really big, large, thick balls around the head, 62 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 2: but it starts to get cumbersome billies. So you've got 63 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 2: to you've got to have a compromise there between great 64 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 2: performance and also just being light enough and small enough 65 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: and things to be not really noticed when players are 66 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 2: out on the field. 67 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: Okay, So and presumably they can be colored in team 68 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: colors or whatever else, and in a way they go. 69 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, they're molded in one part E V A, and 70 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 2: so you can do any color as long as one color, 71 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 2: although you could then you could then paint on the 72 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: outside if you wanted to. 73 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: Because that'll be the thing, wouldn't that if they're all 74 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,799 Speaker 1: out on the field, you want them are to be blue, teal, 75 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: dare I say, or or red or whatever, so at 76 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: least they can be more recognizable from a DISTI I 77 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 1: don't know, but I imagine. 78 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah it could be. It could be part of 79 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 2: the uniform, I guess. And you can mold it into 80 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 2: team colors here. 81 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, that's that's interesting. And that they need to 82 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: be reasonably lattice obviously, so as you said, so lightweight, 83 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: because you wouldn't want a football style type sorry, a 84 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: motorcycle style helmet bashing into people on the field either, 85 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: So it's got to be lightweight. 86 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 2: And yeah, and it's under four hundred grams so you 87 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 2: basically don't even know it's on your head. It's full 88 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 2: of you know, there's about two hundred odd hole ventilation 89 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: holes in it, so it breathes really well, so players 90 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 2: don't get hot basically, they you know, after a minute 91 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 2: of wearing them, the players will probably forget they've got 92 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 2: them on. You know, it's designed so that there's minimal 93 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: effect really and not being noticeable. 94 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: If the AFL picks it up as it seems they 95 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: are interested in, as you say, Graham, or this is 96 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: obviously going to flow right through competitions everywhere, presumably Rugby 97 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:40,880 Speaker 1: everywhere else. 98 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, well hopefully, because I think there's sort of been 99 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 2: a bit of a tipping point reached in the last 100 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 2: twelve to eighty months where I think people are generally saying, 101 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: this is not an acceptable amount of concussion that's going on, 102 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: and we need to do something about it. And you know, 103 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 2: we know from lab tests that this helmet can reduce 104 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: head acceleration by over ninety percent, and that that will 105 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 2: also happen on the field. The physics don't change from 106 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 2: the lab on the field. The unknown is exactly how 107 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 2: much it might lower concussion. That depends on all sorts 108 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: of things, like the players themselves, because every player has 109 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 2: a different level of resistance to concussion, usually based on 110 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 2: how many concussions they may have orre he had. Some 111 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 2: players more susceptible than others to it. So you know, 112 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 2: the actual end result is hard to predict, but we 113 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 2: do know that the impacts will be reduced by the 114 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: amount that's already been shown in the lab. 115 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: Graham, what about soccer? Now, a lot of headers in 116 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: soccer and soccer ballheaders have shown to cause long term 117 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: concussions as well. Would it work in a soccer game 118 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: wearing these as the ball comes down and players can 119 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: head up. 120 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a really interesting point, Matthew, because actually it's 121 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 2: one of the things that we've because we're sort of 122 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 2: more associated with AFL and all those sort of rugby 123 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 2: league to some extent, we haven't had anyone available to 124 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:27,880 Speaker 2: actually trial the helmet for soccer, and we'd really like 125 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 2: that to happen because we're quite interested in how it 126 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 2: will affect heading, because it will certainly reduce the impact 127 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 2: from heading, and there's several scientific papers out there that 128 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 2: are suggesting that heading has a long term effect a 129 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 2: negative effect on player health, and so we don't have 130 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 2: any doubt that this helmet will reduce that. What we're 131 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 2: most interested in is actually whether the helmet might prove 132 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 2: I'd slightly better control of the ball we're heading. So 133 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 2: we're quite interested to know that and we don't know 134 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 2: what the answer is yet. 135 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: Okay, that's interesting. Have you thought of other areas boxing, 136 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: for instance, or even outside of sport. 137 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, there's lots of things like, for example, it's 138 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 2: being just an impact structure. It applies to all sorts 139 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 2: of things like body armor, cricket helmets, jockey helmets, jockey 140 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 2: vess you know, shoulder pads, hit pads, even gloves, you know, 141 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 2: cricket and things. There's all sorts of applications there for it, 142 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 2: and we've gradually work through one by one that cycling 143 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 2: helmets and things as well, because we can do hard 144 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 2: shell versions of this as well. At the moment just 145 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 2: soft phone for football, but in the future we'll be 146 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 2: doing hardshell versions as well. 147 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: Okay, what's your background Graham? You are an inventor? Are 148 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: you a concussion expert? 149 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:12,599 Speaker 2: What's the deal my backgrounds. I've basically been an industrial 150 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 2: designer inventor for forty two years I think now, and 151 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 2: my background in industrial design and engineering and things that 152 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 2: I've worked on all sorts of interesting projects over the 153 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:29,479 Speaker 2: years in different fields. 154 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: Well, I hope you've got your patents right, because I 155 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: reckon the world is going to beat a path to 156 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: your door. I think you've invented the better mousetrap. 157 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 2: I hope so, I hope so. But most of all, 158 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,680 Speaker 2: I'd just like to know that I've contributed, hopefully to 159 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 2: improving people's health, So that would be a good reward. 160 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, fantastic, Good on you, what a tremendous thing. And 161 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: look forward to seeing them warn well in the near future, 162 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: potentially on. 163 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 2: The hopefully hopefully you'll start seeing them shortly. 164 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 1: Fantastic. So what in the next year or so? 165 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: Oh, definitely in the next year. 166 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, amazing, good on your Graham. Thank you for 167 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: your time this morning. 168 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 2: Okay, thanks Graham. 169 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: Addie inventor from Perth a concussion helmet and obviously AFL 170 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: taking it up.