In 1892, a quarterback named Paul D. Hubbard invented a way to communicate privately with his teammates at Gallaudet University, a school for deaf and hard of hearing students. Worried that opposing teams could steal Gallaudet’s plays because they were communicating through American Sign Language (ASL), Hubbard proposed they gather together in a tight circle to strategize.
That formation became known as the huddle, and it is now a fixture of football at all levels, from high school to the NFL.
But since then, the sport has fallen behind in accessibility. Coaches primarily speak to players through in-helmet radios, which presents a gap for hearing impaired athletes.
However, an innovation from AT&T could change the game. The telecommunications company collaborated with Gallaudet University and creative agency Translation to develop a new football helmet that enables in-game, visual communication between coaches and players using 5G and augmented reality.
It works like this: Coaches on the sidelines can select a play from a tablet and send that play to players through a lens inside the helmet. The quarterback wearing the helmet then receives the play through AR on the digital display within the visor. The whole system is powered by 5G.
AT&T and Translation claim this product could revolutionize football again by making it more inclusive. Right now, the 5G helmet is only available as a prototype, but the aim is to make it a commonly used piece of equipment for athletes.
“My hope for the innovation is that it becomes more widely accessible,” Jason Campbell, chief creative officer of Translation, told Adweek.
Real experiences
Along with the helmet, Translation created a promotional film that cleverly uses sound design to depict the communication gap that deaf athletes face on the field. It is set at Gallaudet University and features the college’s real players.