The Rugby Safety Project was developed within a multidisciplinary Sports & Sciences engineering program and focused on improving player safety through the monitoring of head impacts and acceleration during rugby matches. The central motivation of the project was the growing concern around concussions and cervical injuries in contact sports, and the need for reliable, real-time data to support medical decision-making without disrupting the game or the athlete’s comfort.
     The objective was to design and prototype a wearable system capable of measuring head acceleration and impact severity while remaining discreet, lightweight, and fully compatible with standard rugby equipment. A key constraint of the project was that the device should not alter the player’s mobility, appearance, or match experience, ensuring acceptance by both athletes and coaching or medical staff.
    From a technical standpoint, the solution relied on inertial sensing using multi-axis IMU sensors to capture both linear and rotational acceleration of the head during play. These measurements were processed locally by an embedded microcontroller, allowing rapid detection of significant impacts within a few milliseconds. Impact data, including acceleration magnitude and timing, could then be transmitted wirelessly via BLE or Wi-Fi to external devices for real-time monitoring by coaches or medical personnel.
    Beyond sensing, the project also explored advanced concepts for dynamic protection. Several technologies were studied and benchmarked, including non-Newtonian fluids, layer-jamming structures, and fast electromechanical locking mechanisms. These approaches aimed to combine flexibility during normal movement with rapid stiffening under impact, highlighting future possibilities for intelligent cervical protection integrated directly into sports garments.
      The development process followed a complete engineering workflow, starting from need analysis and state-of-the-art research, through design, CAD modeling, and physical prototyping. Multiple iterations were produced to improve ergonomics, sensor stability, robustness, and data reliability. Particular attention was paid to integration within textile and foam components commonly used in sports equipment, as well as resistance to sweat, shocks, and repeated use.
   The final prototype demonstrated the feasibility of a compact, unobtrusive impact monitoring system suitable for real sporting conditions. While further refinements would be required for industrial deployment, the project successfully validated the core concepts of real-time head impact detection, wearable integration, and user-centered design. Overall, this project combined mechanical design, electronics, signal processing, and sports science, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to a real-world engineering and safety challenge.