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2022 CommanDING Tech Challenge
About the Command Dashboard Integrating Next-Gen Technology Challenge (CommanDING Tech)
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division hosted the Command Dashboard Integrating Next-Gen Technology (CommanDING Tech) Challenge, a four-phase competition looking for the best next-generation incident command dashboards.
Through improved user interfaces and user experience (UI/UX) and the ability to work with video, sensor, and map data in multi-story buildings, PSCR aimed to improve the quality of incident command dashboards and, in turn, improve the effectiveness of emergency response. Contestants brought either new technology to the arena or improved their existing technology throughout the Challenge. The four final teams showcased their dashboards by completing a public safety emergency scenario in real time. Contestants' dashboards used a variety of technologies for the Challenge, including but not limited to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), web-based, or hand-held devices (phone or tablet).
All submissions were required to integrate and respond to multiple data feeds and have a mobile, intuitive user interface that makes it more efficient and effective for public safety officers to respond to emergency situations. PSCR and its Challenge partners awarded prizes valued at up to $1,000,000 to Contestants that met the eligibility requirements.
The video below highlights the final results and winners of the NIST PSCR CommanDING Tech Challenge.
Phase 4 technology demonstration winners
| Winner | Phase 4 Award(s) | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Headwall VR |
1st Place Prize, 5x5 Public Safety Innovation Summit Travel, Best VR application, Best UI/UX for VR, Best Data Handling in VR, Best-in-Class Innovative Public Safety Feature: Room Clearing Function and Commercial Viability |
$130,125 |
| BadVR |
2nd Place Prize, 5x5 Public Safety Innovation Summit Travel, Best AR application, Best UI/UX for AR, Best Data Handling in AR, Best-in-Class Innovative Public Safety Feature: wrist activated clipboard – embodied haptic feedback for easy information access |
$96,000 |
| TurnRock Labs |
3rd Place Prize, 5x5 Public Safety Innovation Summit Travel, Best Data Handling for category not listed, and Best in Class Innovative Public Safety Feature: The Virtual Commander: AI generated recommendations for incident command action response |
$52,750 |
| Engineering Dynamics |
4th Place Prize, 5x5 Public Safety Innovation Summit Travel, and Best in Class Innovative Public Safety Feature: ability to track a first responder cleanly by individual floor |
$34,625 |
| Total Phase 4 Awards | $313,500 | |
| Total Phase 1 & 2a & 2b & 3 Awards | $686,500 | |
| Total Prize Awards to Date | $1,000,000 | |
Previous CommanDING Tech Challenge prize winners also include: 3AM Innovations; Apollo AI; Cloud Responder; Emergency Ventures; JANUS Research Group; Polaron World Engine; Red Volta, LLC; Smart Firefighting; Smart Response Technologies, Inc (SRT); Televerse Robot, LLC; Three Firefighters; and VALOARUS.
Background information
The goal of this Challenge was to leverage existing technology both within and beyond the incident command space and incentivize improving the quality, usability, and functionality of incident command dashboards for first responders. Existing dashboards are often limited by the quality of their user interface, ability to access data, or the cost to the public safety organization. As a result, public safety responders still rely on manual methods of staging and responding to an emergency situation. This Challenge aims to bring forward dashboards using multiple technologies, including VR, AR, mobile, and web-based solutions. All submissions for the Challenge demonstrated an improvement to their updated dashboard throughout the Challenge. Public safety experts and video and data analytics professionals supported the Challenge, helping Contestants advance and enhance the state of the art of incident command dashboards.
Summary of the Challenge Phases
- Phase 1 – Concept Paper: Contestants submitted a concept paper and images or videos of their dashboards.
- Phase 2a – Public Safety Collaboration: Contestants partnered with a public safety entity throughout the Challenge. If the Contestants did not already have a partnership with a public safety entity, they were provided a list of available public safety officials. Contestants submitted a letter that entailed their partnership with a public safety partner.
- Phase 2b – Video Demonstration: Contestants documented the progress they made on their prototypes through written updates and video demonstrations of the prototype with the Judging Panel.
- Phase 3 – Lab Assessment: The Judging Panel tested each Contestant’s dashboard at a Department of Commerce laboratory space in Boulder, Colorado, and used the prototype to execute an emergency response with simulated data.
- Phase 4 – Technology Demonstration: The demonstration event was a live, staged, public safety emergency in a multi-story building where teams showcased their dashboard's capabilities.
Additional challenge information
The CommanDING Tech Challenge was hosted by NIST’s PSCR Division and managed by Freelancer.com and LMI. The Challenge partners were First Responder Network Authority, University of Houston, and University of Memphis.
To find out more information about the challenge, visit https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=commandingtech.