New Delhi, March 12 – Imagine a helmet that can record the brain's response to a concussion in real-time on the cricket field, or a wearable ultrasound sensor that relies solely on movement patterns to prevent torn hamstrings or damaged ligaments, which routinely hinder sporting careers.
This sounds like a game-changing innovation for athletes?
At IIT Delhi, all of this is being developed into reality in collaboration with the University of Exeter.
The two institutions, along with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), jointly organized a Sports Technology, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics Spring School last week, where experts, researchers, and students discussed the rapidly evolving intersection of sports and advanced technology.
Dr. Biswarup Mukherjee, Associate Professor at the IIT's Centre for Biomedical Engineering, explained to
"Coaches could monitor exactly how much force an athlete's forearm or leg muscles produce during a throw, swing, or sprint, without attaching bulky electrodes. Fatigue tracking, injury prevention, and real-time biofeedback during training become possible with a slim wristband," Mukherjee explains in his research paper on the wearable sensor, in collaboration with Professor Dominic Farris from Exeter's Department of Public Health and Sports Science.
The sensor relies on Sonomyography, a painless ultrasound used to monitor progress after a stroke or nerve injury. Mukherjee says it's like "a microphone that hears what your muscles are doing even before you complete a movement." This could be a valuable tool for injury prevention in sports.
"Traditional motion-capture systems, used by elite clubs and sports science labs, require rows of cameras, reflective markers, and a controlled indoor environment. They are expensive, complex, and impractical on a real training ground."
"A wearable ultrasound sensor changes the game entirely. By monitoring how muscles and tendons move and load during activity, coaches and medical staff could receive live data on an athlete's movement patterns, spotting subtle changes in technique that often precede a torn hamstring, a stress fracture, or a damaged ligament," Mukherjee said.
"Early warnings could allow a physiotherapist to remove a player from training before a minor strain becomes a season-ending injury."
At the IIT's Centre for Sensors, Instrumentation and Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering (SeNSE), Professor Shahid Malik discussed a "field-ready neural bridge technology designed to monitor brain health," with a focus on cricket.
This is being developed in collaboration with Professor Genevieve Williams at the University of Exeter, and is likely to enter the testing phase in about a year.
"By combining a mechanical filter with ultra-low-power lock-in amplifiers, we've ensured that the high-tech sensors remain stable and synchronized during a massive 150km/hr impact."
"It is no longer just a piece of protective gear; it is a medical-grade diagnostic laboratory that detects hidden internal injuries the moment they occur," said Malik.
If it passes the test, the helmet would not only be able to detect the exact impact of a concussion in cricket but also help understand brain functioning in other impact/contact sports such as basketball, hockey, boxing, or judo during training.
Concussions can cause long-term neurological damage, as seen in the case of Australian opener William Pucovski, whose promising cricket career was cut short at 27 after multiple concussion injuries.
The IIT Delhi team says it has integrated brain-mapping sensors (fNIRS) and motion-tracking chips (IMU) directly into a uniquely designed Spider-Mount suspension (an audio accessory) inside the helmet, which could cost a very reasonable Rs 10,000.
"The heart of the invention is an ultra-low-power high-resolution sensing hub capable of detecting brain signals millions of times smaller than a standard battery voltage," says the team.
"...even during a 150 km/hr impact, the electronic sensors remain perfectly synchronized with the scalp...the system can see through the violent vibrations of a hit, recording the brain's internal response with medical-grade clarity while others would only see digital noise."
Currently, concussion assessment is based on a doctor's observation after the player leaves the field. This innovation would allow diagnosis on the boundary line, telling coaches immediately if a player's brain function is impaired.
"By combining fNIRS brain imaging with motion sensors, we are finally able to see the invisible bridge between a physical hit and neurological health in real-world sporting environments," said Professor Williams from the University of Exeter.
Asked if any cricketing body is on board for support or collaboration on this, Malik said the team wants to conduct field tests before exploring that possibility.
However, he believes that this technology will become "standard" in all contact sports, ensuring that "the gentleman's game remains as safe as it is exciting".