When first responders have access to more information, they are better able to respond to incidents and protect themselves and others. Recognizing this need for greater situational awareness, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) is supporting the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) on a new prize challenge: CHARIoT. Funded through the PSCR Open Innovation program, the CHARIot Challenge aims to leverage augmented reality (AR) solutions and Internet of Things (IoT) data to help public safety officials respond more effectively and efficiently.

The Challenge

The CHARIoT Challenge is comprised of two unique prize contests. The first contest, Build Augmented Reality Interfaces for First Responders, seeks AR developers to build heads-up display or hologram interfaces using smart building and other sensor data that can provide first responders with actionable information to improve response operations. Up to $888,000 will be awarded for this contest.

The second contest, Emulate Smart City Data for Disaster Scenarios, focuses on utilizing and streamlining IoT data for first responders. As more cities adopt “Smart City” solutions, more data is collected from smart buildings, IoT devices, and sensors. If analyzed and shared correctly, this data has the ability to provide critical information to both incident command staff as well as boots-on-the ground responders. The goal of this contest is to develop a data system that can collect and transmit applicable IoT data to first responders to aid in decision making. Up to $212,000 will be awarded for this contest.

In the final phase of both contests, contestants’ solutions will be tested in a live event, simulating four emergency scenarios – wildfires, active shooter situations, mass transit accidents, and floods. Up to four IoT contestants (one per scenario) will be selected to participate in this final round, and up to 15 AR contestants will be invited to test their solutions. Through both contests in this challenge, contestants will have the opportunity to work with organizations that can help advance their ideas and solutions in the public safety marketplace.

How to Get Involved

Contestants
Whether you’re a developer, data guru, engineer, user experience expert, or inventor, you must register for the contest you’re interested in and submit an initial concept paper by May 6th. More information about the contest phases and deadlines can be found here.

First Responders
In order to ensure the AR interfaces meet the needs of public safety, each team must apply or be matched with a local public safety partner. Through this partnership, AR teams will be able to directly understand the challenges first responders face and think through solutions from the user’s point of view. If your public safety agency is interested in supporting an AR contestant team, email psprizes@nist.gov for more information.

The FirstNet Authority is excited to support this prize challenge with PSCR, and we look forward to seeing the innovative solutions developed through these contests!