AT&T and Gallaudet University Collaborate to Make Football More Inclusive with First 5G-Connected Helmet
Digital in-helmet display offers deaf and hard of hearing athletes and coaches a new, visual way of communicating powered by 5G technology
AT&T* and Gallaudet University1, the global leader in bilingual education for deaf and hard of hearing students, have collaborated to create the first 5G-connected football helmet—making the game more inclusive by enhancing on-field communication for student-athletes who use American Sign Language. The helmet2 will be used for the first time in NCAA Division III competition during Gallaudet’s home game against Hilbert College, on Oct. 7 at 12 p.m. ET.
As a staple of college sports, we’re always exploring ways to use our expertise in connectivity to advance the way coaches, athletes and fans experience the game. When it came to developing the helmet, we saw an opportunity for 5G technology to make sports more inclusive—and there was no better partner to take possibility to reality than Gallaudet.
From inventing the modern-day huddle in 1894 to serving as the global leader in education for deaf and hard of hearing students today, Gallaudet University has long been a pioneer for innovation. Deaf and hard of hearing athletes have a long history of breaking barriers and proving their innovation and talent on the field.
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.
“We work out the same way as every other college football program, we practice the same way, we compete the same way,” said Coach Chuck Goldstein, Head Football Coach, Gallaudet University. “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.”
“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,” said Shelby Bean, special teams coordinator and former player for Gallaudet University. “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.”
The applications for a 5G-connected helmet have reach beyond college football—it could open possibilities of inclusion for any sport that requires helmets. But 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? We’ll continue to work with partners to explore how this technology and software can be more widely adopted and create meaningful change, both in sports and beyond.
“Together with Gallaudet, we are proving that connecting changes everything,” said Corey Anthony, senior vice president of network engineering and operations at AT&T. “Our expertise in connectivity combined with Gallaudet’s legacy of breaking down barriers has created a helmet that not only transforms the way deaf and hard of hearing athletes engage in sports but opened up endless possibility for innovation.”
In gratitude to the players and coaches at Gallaudet University for their collaboration on the development of the AT&T 5G-connected helmet, we are donating $500,000 to the school’s football program. In addition to the 5G-connected helmet and devices, we are giving every Gallaudet player a new helmet.
Go Bison!
*About AT&T
We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.
About Gallaudet University
Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind individuals through American Sign Language and English.
From inventing the modern-day huddle in 1894 to serving as the global leader in education for deaf and hard of hearing students today, Gallaudet University has long been a pioneer for innovation.
AT&T is a staple of college sports, we’re always exploring ways to use our expertise in connectivity to advance the way coaches, athletes and fans experience the game. Inspired by Gallaudet’s legacy and the incredible capabilities of 5G technology, an idea was born: could 5G create more inclusive possibilities for deaf athletes?
Radio continues to be the primary way professional football coaches and players communicate. If the highest level of football requires athletes to hear, it presents a gap for deaf and hard of hearing athletes. But the AT&T 5G-connected helmet doesn’t rely on sound to communicate. It sends the coach’s play call from a device on the sidelines directly into a visual display on the lens of the helmet. 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.
AT&T seized the opportunity for 5G technology to make sports more inclusive—and there was no better partner to take possibility to reality than Gallaudet. When Gallaudet takes the field on Oct. 7, they’ll bring that idea to life with the first 5G-connected helmet to be used in a college football game.
“We work out the same way as every other college football program, we practice the same way, we compete the same way,” said Coach Chuck Goldstein, Head Football Coach, Gallaudet University. “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.”
At AT&T, we believe connecting changes everything. So if Coach Chuck is right that a 5G-connected helmet can change football, what else can connecting change?
AT&T
AT&T is a staple of college sports, always exploring ways to use our expertise in connectivity to advance the way coaches, athletes and fans experience the game.
- We focus our resources on enhancing and modernizing the fan experience through AT&T technology and uplifting the community as a whole to create ultimate fandom.
- Our long-time collaborative relationship with the NCAA provides direct impact to the student-athletes pursuing both higher education and competition in their sport, and also allows us to showcase our expertise in connecting fans through technology.
- We look forward to further collaborating and innovating around programs that drive meaningful connections for student-athletes and fans alike.
GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY
From inventing the modern-day huddle in 1894 to serving as the global leader in education for deaf and hard of hearing students today, Gallaudet University has long been a pioneer for innovation.
- Deaf and hard of hearing athletes have a long history of breaking barriers and proving their innovation and talent on the field.
- One of the most famous examples is Paul Hubbard, a deaf quarterback who played for Gallaudet University in the late 1800s and is credited with inventing the huddle to prevent opponents from reading his hand signals.
- Despite being a leading contributor to how players and coaches communicate, the type of communication required to play the game today—especially due to the hurry-up offense—is exclusionary.
PARTNERING TO TAKE POSSIBILITY TO REALITY
When it came to developing the helmet, AT&T seized the opportunity for 5G technology to make sports more inclusive—and there was no better partner to take possibility to reality than Gallaudet.
- Partnering with the Deaf community from the outset has been crucial to properly design this new technology in the most inclusive and universal way possible.
- Anecdote: In each field test of the helmet we received feedback from the players about both form and function and iterated each prototype based on that feedback. The players are first to point out if the helmet is too heavy, too light, and so on, so those feedback loops were imperative.
- The AT&T 5G-connected helmet represents the possibility of more inclusive design and communications in sports.
- The helmet sends the coach’s play call from a device on the sidelines directly into a visual display on the lens of the helmet. Essentially there is a 5G module in the helmet that is connected to antennas just like a cell phone or any other type of network enabled device. 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.
- Player feedback was essential to the process: “[The AT&T team] [was] very open. You know how some people ask for your feedback but don’t hear you. They heard me.” – Rodney Burford Jr., former GU Player and alum.
- When Gallaudet takes the field on Oct. 7, they’ll be playing with the first 5G-connected helmet to be used in a college football game.
