By Nicole Souza
In 2025, Clemson’s Headgear Impact Performance (CHIP) Lab continues pushing boundaries in helmet safety research, making significant progress through innovative, student-engaged projects. Led by Dr. John DesJardins, professor of bioengineering and interim director of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute (RHBSSI), and Dr. Greg Batt, associate professor of packaging science and faculty fellow of RHBSSI, the lab focuses on enhancing how protective headgear is tested and developed, particularly for high-impact sports like football. The goal: bring greater accuracy and real-world relevance to helmet testing systems to better protect athletes from concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
In recent years, the team received a patent for their novel testing method and a Technology Maturation Grant from the Clemson University Research Foundation (CURF), the technology transfer and innovation office for Clemson, to make a benchtop testing machine that they can market. Within just the first few months of 2025, Clemson students achieved the publication of three research articles (featured at the bottom of this post) showcasing this momentum. Much of the content was centered around improvements to testing equipment, especially the crash test dummy.
One significant contribution came from the lab’s involvement in a collaborative, multi-site study comparing two standard neck models used in helmet testing, one produced by Humanetics and the other by Jasti Co., both manufacturers of anthropometric test devices (ATDs). Although both neck forms meet federal safety standards, little has been done to compare their performance under sports-specific conditions. Working alongside the University of Southern Mississippi, Clemson Ph.D. student Anthony Marino conducted impact tests with each neck form and found subtle, yet meaningful, differences in how the head accelerated and moved. These insights are critical, especially for labs that standardize results across different testing setups.
Building on this, the student-engaged team set out to improve how realistic and reliable these test dummies are. Many commonly used models, like the Hybrid III, were initially designed for car crash testing, not the unpredictable, multi-directional impacts seen in sports. To address this, the Clemson group experimented with modifications to the dummy’s neck, adjusting cable stiffness and accounting for asymmetrical design features. Even minor tweaks led to significant changes in how the head moved during impact, offering a deeper understanding of how minor variations can influence helmet safety data. These findings help fine-tune testing protocols to reflect real-world conditions on the field.
Meanwhile, a separate research group took testing innovation even further by designing a new method for future concussion research. Led by Ph.D. student Madysn Cardinal, they developed and validated an inverted testing fixture, essentially flipping the dummy upside down to better simulate the effects of brain fluid movement during impacts. This setup could be especially valuable when using cadaveric specimens to study how cerebrospinal fluid and blood shift in response to trauma. After running a full comparison between the inverted and traditional upright test methods, they found strong alignment in critical measurements like angular velocity and linear acceleration. This confirmed the new system’s reliability and potential to support more advanced brain injury studies.
Now with the Technology Maturation Grant from CURF, the team is working to turn their initial patent claims into a working prototype. They are focused on developing a new testing setup specifically designed to evaluate the safety of faceguards, a critical but often overlooked component of protective sports gear. A new Clemson Master’s students will play a key role in advancing this project, gaining hands-on experience while pushing innovation forward in the field of sports science.
Together, these projects highlight Clemson’s growing role as a leader in sports safety research. By challenging outdated standards, refining testing tools and fostering cross-lab collaboration, the CHIP Lab is redefining how we evaluate helmet performance. The CHIP Lab deeply engages its graduate and undergraduate student members, gaining hands-on experience while directly contributing to the future of athlete protection. With continued leadership from Dr. DesJardins, Dr. Batt and support from the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, Clemson is helping make sports safer, one carefully measured impact at a time.
Check out these recent publications from Spring 2025:
- Marino AP, Jesunathadas M, Landry T, Piland SG, DesJardins JD, Batt GS. Comparison of dynamic performance of Jasti and Humanetics neckforms with an inter-lab validation. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 2025;0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371241312829
- Cardinal MD, Marino AP, DesJardins JD, Batt G. Development and validation of inverted head form orientation for helmet testing using a pneumatic linear impact system. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 2025;0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371241309998
- Marino AP, Cardinal MD, Garrison A, Batt GS, DesJardins JD. Effects of varied stiffness and design asymmetry of neck anthropometric test devices on quasi-static and dynamic loading response to football head impacts. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology. 2025;0(0). doi:10.1177/17543371251322217
To learn more about the CHIP Lab, follow them on LinkedIn here.
