https://fanbuzz.com/nfl/fsu-professor-auxetic-foam/
Thanks to Changchun “Chad” Zeng, an associate professor and researcher at Florida State University, football at all levels could change forever thanks to a brand new technology he developed.
Zeng invented something called auxetic foam. Basically, as the foam absorbs the hit from a high-speed impact, it becomes denser and actually hardens, which would drastically change how traditional football helmets were designed. (If you were like me, yours were probably filled with air, right?)
This new technology could change everything.
“Contrary to conventional foams, auxetic foams become denser and harder when being hit,” Zeng said. “The harder the foam is hit, the harder it gets. As a result, auxetic foams provide a much higher energy absorbing capability and much better protection.”
Changchun Zeng developed the foam with his research team at Florida State University’s High-Performance Materials Institute down in Tallahassee. The auxetic foam is exclusively licensed by Auxadyne, a company based in Florida. The company submitted Zeng’s invention to the NFL’s Play Smart. Play Safe. HeadHealthTECH Challenge VI where it was heralded for its game-changing design.
The NFL awarded Auxadyne an $86,688 grant to test Zeng’s foam in different capacities to potentially become the future of NFL players’ helmets.
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