WINTHROP, Maine — A local company is one of five nationwide to receive $250,000 to further develop technologies which could be used to protect against head injuries or other impact trauma.
Alba-Technic in Winthrop has developed a patented, shock-absorbent honeycomb material that is designed to dissipate the energy from a fall or hit. The announcement was made by the National Football League, Under Armour, GE and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Alba-Technic Founder and CEO James Ferguson says his company's product that's closest to commercialization looks like a regular sports headband. He says it's soft and flexible until it gets hit.
"The outer layer and one of the other layers of this composite will begin to stiffen up at a specific rate," he says.
Ferguson says the material is designed to take the peak impact that would normally go into the brain and spread it over hundreds of underlying soft, flexible honeycombs.
Ferguson says, next year, whichever of the five current grant recipients is most successful in improving their product will receive a $500,000 grand prize.
Ferguson says much of Alba-Technic's research will be done at the University of Maine.
