Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Degree

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

Department

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

American football players are repeatedly subject to high-velocity impacts; collisions can exceed 100 g in the NFL [1]. Rotational accelerations of the head caused by high-velocity collisions have been proven to be extremely damaging to the highly organized brain fibers at the brain-skull interface [2]. The sensor system (SS) measures the nonplanar acceleration at four locations on a chin strap using ADXL314 accelerometers and utilizes rigid-body kinematics to estimate the head rotational state from the measured acceleration of the SS [3]. The SS was validated through progressive testing, including steady-state, linear impact, and rotational impact testing. The ADLX314 sensor exhibited insignificant RMS noise in linear   and angular  acceleration output relative to the high-acceleration impacts measured on a football field (100+ g, 6000+ ). Linear impact testing validated the SS against an independent LVDT-derived profile: nine silicone impact tests resulted in a strong Pearson correlation coefficient (0.9583) and an average peak difference of 6.03% while 6 rigid plastic tests resulted in a lower correlation coefficient (0.7843) but maintained close peak alignment (maximum peak difference = 5.3496 g) between the two measurement systems. The measured linear accelerations on the chin strap are assumed to be representative of the skull surface, and a distance vector from the center of mass (CoM) of the sensor system to the CoM of the player’s brain allows for a non-destructive method to analyze the accelerations experienced by a player’s brain during a high-impact collision. The linear and angular acceleration profiles measured by the sensor system are necessary inputs to perform a detailed 3D simulation of brain tissue mechanics during impacts, supporting future efforts to protect football players from dangerous brain injuries, such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Date

3-27-2026

Committee Chair

Gilbert, Hunter B.

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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