IMPLEMENTED BY
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USING INGENUITY TO SAVE LIVES
FIRST RESPONDER UAS TRIPLE CHALLENGE
SPEED • RESILIENCE • SECURITY
The First Responder UAS Triple Challenge is an exciting prize competition, with a total of $720K in awards, to help save lives faster and support advancing first responder search and rescue (SAR) operations. The challenge allows you to use your ingenuity, hardware knowledge and expertise to create a concept for an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) prototype through three different challenges.
CHALLENGE 3.1
FASTFIND: UAS SEARCH OPTIMIZED
TOTAL AWARD: $260K
Advance UAS technologies
by building and flying UAS
designed to extend the capabilities of current generation
first responder search and rescue (SAR) UAS operations.
The goal of this challenge is to
build a UAS solution
that helps a SAR team locate multiple missing persons more efficiently by
improving image detection and enhanced navigation
techniques to ‘close the distance’ more quickly.
CHALLENGE 3.2
LIFELINK: UAS DATA RELAY
TOTAL AWARD: $260K
Advance UAS technology
by building a solution designed to support broadband communications for local and state first responders
in the field who need the ability
to send and receive
digital information in areas where there is no cellular connectivity.
The goal of this challenge is for competitors to innovate cost-effective, robust, and easily deployable solutions to this current technical barrier.
CHALLENGE 3.3
SHIELDS UP! SECURING UAS NAVIGATION & CONTROL
TOTAL AWARD: $200K
Advance the cybersecurity of UAS technology to support first responders in their missions.
UAS expands public safety's ability to quickly gather critical data from video, cameras, sensors, or peripherals.
The goal of this challenge is for competitors to frame their threats and countermeasures
concerning the disruption and preservation of UAS navigation and control to prevent mission failure.
ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
Welcome to the NIST PSCR First Responder UAS Triple Challenge as we focus this year on the theme of speed, resilience, and security. In this third iteration of the NIST UAS challenge series, fittingly, there are three simultaneous and unique challenges, each focused on one element in the theme.
As with every challenge, the aim of this year's challenge is to help ensure that our nation's first responders have access to the latest in UAS technology. The Open Innovation team at PSCR serves to incentivize contestants to be creative and encourage technology development for public safety by posing yet-unsolved technological challenges related to using UAS for emergency scenarios and first responder missions.
The theme of the Challenge was carefully selected to describe each of the three unique challenge goals.
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The first challenge (FastFind) will focus on increasing the speed of search and rescue operations where direct visual contact with a potential subject may be obscured.
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The second challenge (LifeLink) will center on the resilience of network connectivity in remote areas where access to network connectivity may be denied.
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The third challenge (Shields Up!) relates to enhancing the security of both command and control as well as navigational communications between the drone and its ground station.
The challenge team invites any and all drone and security enthusiasts to join us and learn more about each of these challenge areas and help us find creative solutions. We're excited to meet you and your team as we eagerly anticipate the advancements in technology that will result from you helping those… who help us… when we need it the most.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR), in conjunction with Kansas State University and Mississippi State University are hosting this challenge to identify top designs. PSCR’s Open Innovation team engages public safety entities, government, academia, and industry to identify innovation opportunities and foster technology advancements for public safety communications through prize competitions and challenges.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR STAGE 1
Congratulations to the stage 1 winners. These teams will be invited to the next round. Interested in increasing a solution? There is still time to join the 3.1 & 3.2 challenges. The walk-on competition opens in April 2022.
GREAT COLLABORATION
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division, in conjunction with Kansas State University and Mississippi State University are hosting this challenge to identify top designs.
