Polo Horse Wearing Protective Headgear
Clinical studies have identified significant risk of ocular and cranial injury resulting from impacts by polo balls and mallets. This research supports Blokit Polo, with the goal of developing headgear to enhance the safety of a polo horse. The work integrates nonlinear material calibration, finite element modeling in ABAQUS, and controlled experimental testing using an instrumented cadaver horse head to quantify impact response. Research is being done to create a validated computation model that enables simulation of polo ball impacts at multiple anatomical locations, identification of optimal sensor placement, and assessment of padding effectiveness under realistic loading conditions. The research bridges structural dynamics, impact mechanics, and experimental validation to advance injury mitigation strategies through modeling and simulation techniques.
Graduate Student: Ian Voland