Upper Saddle River students make national contest finals with concussion-monitoring app

UPPER SADDLE RIVER — After a friend suffered a bad concussion last football season, a group of middle school students knew something had to be done.

The Cavallini Middle School students made the injury a teachable moment and developed software and sensors for football helmets to better detect concussions. Eighth-graders Josh Chostaka, Jake Carlin, Ian Langan and Alex Fisherman entered their app, named Head Safe, into the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest and were recently named one of 10 national finalists.

"We can see the coaches can only watch so many things at once," Ian said. "A lot of things go on that people don’t notice. It’s a lot safer if the coach is able to keep track of all the players at once."

The challenge tasks students from Grades 6 to 12 with solving real-world problems using science, technology, engineering, arts and math. By reaching the top 10, Cavallini already has qualified for $50,000 in Samsung technology and a trip to the final pitch event in New York City in early April.

The sensors in a helmet for Head Safe calculate linear acceleration and read vibration and shock to determine head trauma. It has Bluetooth, so the information can go to a coach to alert the staff of a possible concussion on an app.

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In a video describing Head Safe, Austin Calarco described his concussion.

"It was first down and our coach called the play," he said. "It was a sweep to the right. I got the ball and then cut in, and I got hit by the first kid, and as I was falling to the ground another kid dove headfirst on my head. At that point I kind of blacked out a little, couldn’t really see, and at this point I knew I had a concussion."

Jonathan Harvey, enrichment teacher at the middle school and adviser for the students, said it was also part of their eighth-grade service learning project.

"As you get through each round of the competition, we find they keep digging a little bit deeper to make it better than it was before," Harvey said of the students. "It’s been an exciting ride so far."

The research started for the project in December, when they studied what kind of sensor to use, learned about computer coding and finished for the Samsung contest in February. They also put together a video explaining their app.

"If Head Safe comes to market, it will make our sport better," referee Michael Alberta, a 12-year veteran, said in the video, "and more importantly safer for our athletes, coaches and entire football community."

The contest opened voting for the 10 finalists until April 2 for a $20,000 Community Choice prize. On April 3, the finalists will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Three winners will each receive a $150,000 Samsung technology grant.

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The Solve for Tomorrow Contest debuted in 2010.

"These national finalists represent hundreds of students and teachers who have worked determinedly to change the reality of their community as they see it," Ann Woo, senior director of corporate citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, said in a press release. "We are so excited for these 10 national finalist schools and the journey that lies for them ahead.”

To vote for Cavallini Middle School, visit samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow.

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com