An apparatus provides for a modified form of tackling in American football. A handle may be coupled to an article of protective equipment worn by players. The handle may project outwardly from the player and defenders may “tackle” a ball carrier by grabbing onto one or more of the handles present on the ball carrier's equipment, the grasping of which may be considered ending the play and the ball carrier's progress may be terminated. In this way, players may still learn to execute the fundamentals for tackling while the ball carrier is protected from high impact hits to the head or body. The ball carrier may also be protected from injuries that occur from being thrown to the ground since the use of handles may obviate the need for the ball carrier to be down by contact with the ground.

An impact diffusing system for protecting a user's head includes a headpiece cage coupled to a thoracic framework. In one aspect, the headpiece cage includes at least two support bars, a plurality of rigid bars surrounding at least a portion of the forehead, top, and sides of the head, and a face mask that encloses at least a portion the user's face. The thoracic framework covers at least a portion of a chest, upper back, and shoulders of the user, and the thoracic framework is attached to the support bars of the headpiece cage in a manner that prevents movement of the headpiece cage relative to the thoracic framework. In another aspect, the system includes a helmet component (formed of e.g., carbon fiber) coupled to a thoracic cage, wherein the helmet component is a solid, unitary piece that surrounds the top, back, and sides of the user's head.

A moldable portion for use with protective equipment, guards, braces, or the like for use to protect from injury and facilitate healing of the same are disclosed herein. This moldable portion includes a thermoplastic semi-crystalline propylene ethylene copolymer having a crystallinity of about 2% to about 65% that is between about 85% to about 99% of the moldable portion and a microwave susceptor that is about 1% to about 15% of the moldable portion These moldable portions may be adapted to be positioned adjacent an area of an user's anatomy it is intended to protect, and may be prepared for customization by heating to a temperature of about 60° C. to about 100° C. and shaped and configured to be affixed to a portion of the protective equipment.

A protective mask includes a main frame body made of magnesium alloy and having an imaginary vertical central line. The main frame body has a plurality of first rods arranged along the central line, a plurality of second rods, and at least one first protrusion. Each of the first rods has spaced-apart first front and rear surfaces, and two opposite first connecting surfaces interconnecting the first front and rear surfaces. A thickness between the first front and rear surfaces is larger than a thickness between the first connecting surfaces. Each of the second rods is connected between two adjacent ones of the first rods. The first protrusion protrudes from the first front surface of one of the first rods.

Generally described, aspects of the disclosed subject matter are directed to impact mitigating membranes. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the impact mitigating membranes generally include a laminar core having a first lamina and a second lamina coupled to the first lamina and configured to shift relative to the first lamina to dissipate kinetic energy resulting from an oblique impact force. The laminar core may include a lubricating layer or self-lubrication between the lamina to reduce friction. In general, the laminar core is surrounded by first and second encapsulating layers positioned adjacent each lamina. An anchoring attachment coupled to one or more of the first and second encapsulating layer and associating with the laminar core constrains relative lateral motion between the laminar core and the first and second encapsulating layers.

A smart vehicle flock navigation system includes a plurality of smart vehicles configured to follow a leader smart vehicle, wherein the leader smart vehicle is configured to follow a target vehicle or a target driving plan; each smart vehicle being equipped with: obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities; vehicle-to-vehicle communication means for transmitting information about obstacles and evasive actions to following smart vehicles; a flock control module for adjusting the driving path of the smart vehicle flock based on transmitted obstacle information; a flocking behavior algorithm based on three independent rules: Separation, Alignment, and Cohesion, controlling the motion of each smart vehicle within the flock; and a distributed flocking operation mechanism utilizing wireless network communication for coordinating the behavior of the smart vehicle flock.

An Internet of Thing (IoT) device includes a body with a processor, a camera and a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor.

Protector for an American football player, including, as impact absorption device, an inflatable element defining an inner chamber adapted to receive an inflation fluid and adapted to assume an active inflated condition. Use of an inflatable element as a protector for an American football player and a method for protecting an American football player are also described.

A system for reducing trauma in the head or neck of a living being caused by acceleration of the head relative to a torso of the living being within a range of motion. The system includes a support engaging at least one of the head, neck, and shoulder of the living being without limiting the range of motion of the head or neck relative to the torso; a sensor in electrical communication with the system; a user interface in electrical communication with the sensor; and a damper associated with the support that is configured to mitigate the position, speed or acceleration of the head relative to the torso in response to information received by the sensor or user interface.

An Internet of Thing (IoT) device includes a transceiver coupled to a processor. Blockchain smart contracts can be used with the device to facilitate secure operation.