Simple Helmet Sticker Detects Dangerous Head Impacts in Sports

Athletes in helmet sports now have a simple way to know if they've taken a dangerous hit to the head, thanks to a breakthrough sticker design tested at a snowboarding competition in Colorado.

The Crash Patch looks like an ordinary helmet sticker, but it contains technology that detects when an athlete has sustained a blow severe enough to cause a concussion. Three professional snowboarders wore the patches during The Snow League's halfpipe competition at Buttermilk Ski Resort in late February, marking the first real-world test of the device.

The innovation solves a critical problem in sports safety. Neurologists say an impact of 75G (75 times the force of gravity) puts athletes at high risk for concussion, but most people can't tell when they've been hit that hard. Symptoms often don't appear until hours later, leaving athletes vulnerable to further injury.

Kate Maldjian, an associate creative director at Klick Health who developed the patch, was inspired by her own skateboarding falls. "I'm wearing a helmet, but sometimes I don't know how heavy the impact is," she explains. She and colleague Dan Macena designed the Crash Patch to give athletes immediate feedback about dangerous hits.

The sticker stands apart from existing head impact technology because of its accessibility. High-tech helmets with built-in sensors already exist for football teams, but they're expensive and out of reach for most athletes. A simple sticker that works with any helmet could bring lifesaving concussion detection to school sports teams, amateur leagues, and individual athletes across every helmet sport.

The Ripple Effect

The Crash Patch represents more than just innovation in sports equipment. It's a democratization of safety technology that could protect millions of young athletes who currently have no way to measure head impacts.

The Snow League, founded by five-time Olympian Shaun White in 2024, provided the perfect testing ground for the device. The professional winter sports league gives snowboarders and freeskiers access to year-round global competition while pioneering new safety standards for action sports.

While the Crash Patch isn't yet available for purchase, its successful test at a major sporting event brings it one step closer to widespread use. The technology could eventually appear on helmets everywhere from ski slopes to skateparks to youth hockey rinks.

For athletes at every level, that means better protection and peace of mind when pursuing the sports they love.