Tackling Concussions

Every day at football practice, a 6-foot-tall, 190-pound “MVP” takes the field at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. MVP gets tackled again and again by teammates. These crushing blows would hurt most people, possibly causing serious injury. But MVP always pops back up and keeps on going. Who is this unstoppable squad member? MVP is a robot!

Every day at football practice, A 6-foot-tall, 190-pound "MVP" takes the field at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. MVP gets tackled again and again by teammates. These crushing blows would hurt most people. It might even cause serious injury. But MVP always pops back up. MVP keeps on going. Who is this unstoppable squad member? MVP is a robot!

Nathaniel Welch

Former Dartmouth College athletes and engineering students Elliot Kastner (left) and Quinn Connell (right)created the MVP.

This tackle bot is helping to make football, and possibly other contact sports, safer. In football, tackling is a big part of the game. But it can be dangerous. A hit to the head can cause a brain injury known as a concussion. Concussions can lead to serious health problems.

Most concussions happen during practice. So the tackle bot stands in for teammates, taking the hard hits so players are less likely to get hurt.

This tackle bot is helping to make football safer. It might help other sports too. In football, tackling is a big part of the game. But it can be dangerous. A hit to the head can cause a brain injury. This is known as a concussion. Concussions can lead to serious health problems.

Most concussions happen during practice. So the tackle bot stands in for teammates. It takes the hard hits. This means players are less likely to get hurt.

Nathaniel Welch

The controller manages the bot’s speed and direction.

Dartmouth football coach Eugene “Buddy” Teevens came up with the idea for a robotic tackle dummy. Two former Dartmouth athletes and engineering students, Elliot Kastner and Quinn Connell, brought the coach’s idea to life. They built a motorized tackle dummy on wheels and named it the Mobile Virtual Player (MVP).

The MVP is similar in height and weight to a typical college or professional football player. But the MVP is much faster than human players. It travels up to 20 miles per hour! It’s remote-controlled, so coaches can make it move like a real player. The tackle bot can even get back up on its own after a tackle.

Dartmouth football coach Eugene "Buddy" Teevens came up with the idea for a robotic tackle dummy. Two former Dartmouth athletes and engineering students brought the coach's idea to life. Their names are Elliot Kastner and Quinn Connell. They built a motorized tackle dummy on wheels. They named it the Mobile Virtual Player (MVP).

The MVP is similar in height and weight to a typical college or professional football player. But the MVP is much faster than human players. It travels up to 20 miles per hour! It is remote-controlled, so coaches can make it move like a real player. The tackle bot can even get back up on its own. This happens after a tackle.

Nathaniel Welch

The Pittsburgh Steelers work out with the MVP.

Hitting the MVP is safer than tackling a human player. “The MVP is nice and foamy,” says Ryan McManus, a former Dartmouth football player who works at the company that builds the MVP.

Dartmouth isn’t the only team using the robot. Seven NFL teams, three college teams, and an all-star high school team in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are practicing with the MVP. McManus hopes to expand the use of the robot to other contact sports, like rugby. “We are looking to revolutionize all levels of training,” says McManus.

Hitting the MVP is safer than tackling a human player. "The MVP is nice and foamy," says Ryan McManus, a former Dartmouth football player. He works at the company that builds the MVP.

Dartmouth isn't the only team using the robot. Seven NFL teams, three college teams, and an all-star high school team in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, are practicing with the MVP. McManus hopes to expand the use of the robot to other contact sports, like rugby. "We are looking to revolutionize all levels of training," says McManus.