The University of Canberra has partnered with the capital's elite sporting teams in a bid to help fast-track recovery from concussion symptoms by using balance technology.
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In what is believed to be an Australian first, the university's research institute for sport and exercise will be using a system previously only available in the United States to monitor brain activity after head knocks.
The technology will be unveiled on Friday and is also part of the UCRISE research project for NASA to ensure astronauts can walk on the surface of Mars in the near future.
It could have a major benefit for Canberra's top athletes, including ACT Brumbies co-captain Sam Carter and Capitals star Rachel Jarry.
Carter is set to make his comeback from a head knock when the Brumbies play the Queensland Reds on Saturday night, while Jarry has taken a six-month break from basketball to avoid further injury.
Carter will be playing his first game in almost one month after revealing he became hypersensitive to crowds and loud noises.
But the university hopes its new balance technology will give athletes and team medical staff greater comfort in returning to play and being able to identify ongoing problems and symptoms.
"This device, in combination with the technology we've already developed, heralds the most comprehensive approach yet to treating athletes who may have suffered concussion," said professor Gordon Waddington.
"Using immersive virtual reality technology, we will be able to assess patient balance control by collecting objective patient data and using it to evaluate an athlete, make treatment decisions, and monitor their progress.
"It's a game changer for our local sports teams which are having to incorporate stricter measures around head injuries. This technology will help athletes get the right treatment and hopefully have them returning to action sooner."
Carter was rattled by a hit from Lopeti Timani at the start of March. Instead of rushing him back on to the field, the Brumbies opted to take a cautious approach.
"Every concussion and every situation is different. This one is lingering and is taking a little bit longer to recover from than I would have liked," Carter said last week.
"For me, I had a hypersensitivity to everything. It would be overwhelming if I was in crowded spots and loud things seemed louder than what they were. That's what it was this time."
Sydney University launched its Brain and Mind centre last week, calling for athletes from a range of sporting codes to donate their brain to research.
Jarry's basketball future remains unclear after the two-time Olympian was told she risked long-term damage if she continued to play after repeated concussions.
Jarry has taken a six-month break from basketball after being concussed at Dandenong on December 9, and her WNBL future in Canberra is still in the air.
The technology at the university could help fast-track her return to the court and determine whether she has fully recovered from the brain injuries.
The tools focus on concussion patients being able to maintain their balance and control their movement. It will allow researches, AIS staff and medical officers to identify changes in an athlete's brain and diagnose complications.
