This project has the objective of developing a truly portable impact tester for evaluating playground surfaces. This tester contains two unique accelerometers based on Hall effect devices. A three dimensional low G accelerometer is used to determine drop angle and the start of the drop. The high G accelerometer will measure the G at impact in up to three different directions. An analog circuit is used to retain peak G and the integral of the acceleration versus time during impact. An on- board microprocessor will report peak G, head injury criterion (HIC), impact velocity, drop height, etc. The tester will not have any interconnecting cable during the testing. It will be capable of storing a number of tests which can later be retrieved by scrolling through a digital display or communicating with a PC via the RS232 port. After the initial prototype is developed two field test units will be built and tested by playground or park personnel to test playground surfaces. The end product of this research will be a portable tester capable of being used in field evaluations of playground surfaces.
