DENVER — Inside a lab tucked into an industrial park in north Denver, the sounds of science and engineering fill the air — the hum of machines, the clicks of cameras, and the occasional bam of impact tests.
It’s all part of a mission to give soldiers a better fit, and better protection, on the battlefield.
From the NFL to the U.S. Army
Impressio, a Denver-based materials science company, first made its mark in 2018 when it won the NFL’s “Head Health Challenge,” a competition to develop better protective gear for athletes.
“We got our big break with the NFL when we were doing the Head Health Challenge back in 2018,” said James Rall, Impressio’s chief technology officer. “Our technology was one of the winners.”
That same technology, built around a flexible, energy-absorbing material, is now being reimagined for the military. Impressio scored its first contract with the U.S. Army two years ago to create custom helmets designed to absorb impact, reduce traumatic brain injuries, and ultimately, save lives.
Engineering for safety and comfort
Principal Engineer Lyssa Bell demonstrated how the team at Impressio tests each prototype.
“So now I’m going to start this camera so we can collect video of this drop,” she said during a demonstration.
Moments later, the lab filled with the sharp bam of a helmet drop test.
For Bell and her colleagues, every impact tells a story about how the material performs — how it flexes, compresses, and protects.
The company uses 3D scanners to take precise measurements of each soldier’s head.
“Right now, we’re using one of our scanners to get a scan of somebody’s head to create a potential custom liner for them in whatever helmet shell they may be wearing,” said senior engineer Tristan Collette. “It’s building it in real time.”
That custom approach is key, ensuring that every helmet not only protects, but also fits comfortably enough to wear for hours at a time.
“Even if you have the best technology, if it’s really uncomfortable and you can’t wear it more than a couple minutes, it’s not going to go anywhere,” Rall said.
Beyond concussions
While much of the research focuses on reducing concussions and traumatic brain injuries, Impressio’s work also targets another problem that plagued soldiers during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars: Chronic headaches and migraines caused by heavy, poorly fitted helmets.
“When we were in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, one of the big things that came out of it was that most people had tension headaches and migraines,” Rall said. “That caused more of a military reduction than concussions.”
By building lighter, more adaptive materials, Impressio hopes to eliminate those stressors while improving protection.
Expanding to the Navy
The company’s innovations aren’t stopping with helmets pads.
Impressio is also working on advanced earplugs and hearing protection for Navy pilots and aircraft carrier crews, environments where sound levels can exceed safe limits within seconds.
“This is a traditional silicon ear plug, so it’s much tougher,” Rall explained, holding up a standard model. “Whereas our material is much softer, much more flexible.”
The softer, custom-fitted design improves comfort and hearing protection, another small step toward a safer, more sustainable military workforce.
Building a reputation for safety
Layer by layer, Impressio’s engineers are fine-tuning both comfort and protection, and the soldiers testing early versions are noticing.
“Some of them comment about how the helmets feel like a baseball cap,” Rall said with a smile.
For the engineers, it’s rewarding work with real-world impact.
“Knowing that you’re going to make a difference in somebody’s life, that’s what drives us,” Rall said.
From the NFL to the U.S. Army and Navy, Impressio’s journey reflects a growing connection between sports technology and battlefield safety, proving that the innovations designed to protect athletes can also protect those who protect us.
