Leo Burnett: Samsung brainBAND is Life-Saving

As the Rugby Six Nations draws to a close and rugby fever sweeps the continent (if not the world), it’s unlikely that you’ve thought about the long-term effects of concussion caused by rugby tackles.

Since October last year, Samsung Electronics Australia has partnered with Leo Burnett Sydney to continue its Launching People programme that encourages change through technology. On this project, the team investigated the effect of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a degenerative disease that's often found in rugby players because of the blows they take to their head.

As part of its #mixedtalents campaign, Samsung brought neuroscientist Dr Alan Pearce together with industrial designer Braden Wilson to find a solution to this problem, documenting their progress via an eight-part series – available here.

brainBAND is a headband with LED sensors that measure and visualise the impact of each tackle by displaying either yellow, orange or red lights depending on the severity of each hit.

“brainBAND is technology doing what it does best: serving the needs of human beings,” says Leo Burnett’s co-ECD, Grant McAloon.

This information is instantaneously relayed to onsite medics, referees and coaches, so that they can make an informed decision about when to remove a player from the pitch.

Data from this device is routinely logged so players can understand how much force their brain has been under and protect themselves against suffering from such life-changing injuries.