Harvard students invent low-cost headset to screen child athletes for concussions
Washington: A trio of Harvard students has invented a low-cost, eye-tracking headset that can screen child athletes for possible concussions in 2 to 3 minutes.
The invention, named “Rumble Rims,” won the James Dyson Award 2026 for the United States. The team — Radhika Saran, Cleo Pontone, and Sophia DeVito — developed the device to deliver actionable information on the sidelines in real time. According to the CDC, about 15.1% of US high school students, approximately 2.5 million, reported at least one concussion related to sports in the prior 12 months.
The headset conducts a screening in infrared light which the athlete cannot see. The athlete completes an eye-movement task that captures how the eyes follow and fixate. A coach-facing mobile display then translates the measurements into real-time guidance on whether an athlete should be removed from play and referred for medical evaluation. A recovery dashboard allows repeat testing over time.
“We wanted to give coaches, athletes, and families clearer information at the exact moment of risk,” said Saran. “If objective tools already exist, they should not be locked inside expensive clinical systems.”The device is designed to close a gap between expensive clinical systems and subjective sideline checks. The team will use the $6,500 national prize to build a higher-fidelity prototype and pilot it with schools and youth sports programs.
