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The D3 Gallaudet Bison football team is about to debut a first-of-its-kind technology in College Football.
Gallaudet University was the first higher education institution in the world for the deaf and hard of hearing and continues to be the only higher education institution in the world at which all of the programs offered are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. So it makes perfect sense that AT&T would work with such a storied institution to roll out this new technology.
The Gallaudet Bison football team has a rich history that not many are aware of. Back in 1894, the Gallaudet Bisons invented the huddle!
In 1894, the Gallaudet football team was playing against another deaf team. Paul Hubbard, the quarterback, didn’t want to risk the other team seeing him use American Sign Language (ASL) to explain the play to his teammates, so he asked them to form a tight circle formation, now known as a huddle.
129 years later, the Gallaudet Bisons football team is set to make history again with 5G-enabled helmets that will use augmented reality digital screens during games so coaches can send plays to the quarterback using American Sign Language messages displayed inside the helmets.
5G Connected Helmets To Use Augmented Reality To Assist Deaf Football Players During Games
AT&T announced the new technology in a press release this week:
The helmet will allow coaches on the sideline to select a play from a tablet that will send the play to a lens inside the helmet. The quarterback wearing the helmet will receive the play in augmented reality on the digital display located within the visor. AT&T 5G provides the reliability and low latency for plays to be sent and received at a speed that keeps up with the pace of the game.
By displaying the coach’s play through augmented reality (AR), this technology eliminates a gap for deaf and hard of hearing athletes, making football more inclusive. It can also reduce miscommunication and unwarranted penalties.
Gallaudet Bisons head coach Chuck Goldstein spoke about how much of a game-changer these augmented reality helmets will be for his deaf and hard of hearing players. He said “We work out the same way as every other college football program, we practice the same way, we compete the same way. The difference between coaching a hearing team compared to a Deaf team is first the communication. The AT&T 5G-connected helmet will change football.”
Gallaudet’s special teams coordinator, Shelby Bean, discussed how these augmented reality helmets will take the Bisons Football Team to the next level. Shelby said “The new AT&T 5G-connected helmet will have a major impact on the game of football, especially for our deaf and hard of hearing players who lacked direct access to communications with their coaches during their high school years.”
Bean added “This will help to level the playing field for mainstreamed athletes. As a former player, I am very excited to see this innovative technology change our lives and the game of football itself.”
Future Applications Of This Incredible New Technology
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While these augmented reality helmets will be debuted by the Gallaudet Bisons football team the future uses are virtually limitless.
The announcement hints at future applications of this ground breaking technology “even more possibility exists in any environment where there’s a need for a helmet and instant communication. Could a 5G-connected helmet improve safety on construction sites or for first responders? And even potentially lead to more job opportunities for the deaf community?”
These new augmented reality 5G-connected helmets will make their debut on October 7th when the Gallaudet Bisons face Hilbert College.