Stage 1 - First Responder UAS Challenge

Components

Call for Papers

In this stage, all eligible contestants can enter by submitting a research paper. A panel of subject matter experts (SMEs) and judges will review each contestant’s submission, and judges will make selections based on the relevance of the work in advancing component capabilities pertinent to the challenge goals and objectives, the feasibility of transitioning the technology to the UAS application, and the clarity and presentation of the paper.

Note that Stage 1 is only a research paper. The purpose of Stage 1 is to solicit the participation of contestants from outside the UAS community but who have technologies that may be directly applicable to UAS in this application. Therefore, Stage 1 contestants need not demonstrate their technology on a working UAS prior to Stage 1 submission. Stage 1 winners will receive a prize award that may be used to develop their UAS solution for the Stage 2 submission.

Up to 10 contestants will receive cash prize awards and obtain support towards participating in Stage 2: Measurement of Capabilities – Whole System. The panel may also select additional papers for publication.

View the NIST PSCR First Responder UAS Wireless Data Gatherer Challenge: Informational Webinar

View Official Rules

Introduction

NIST PSCR invites all eligible contestants to complete a research paper on component technologies that are relevant to the stated application (refer to the Terms and Conditions for eligibility requirements). A panel of SMEs and judges will review all eligible papers from which judges will select winners to receive prize awards. Prizes for this stage include cash prizes as outlined in Awards and Funding and are encouraged to enter Stage 2: Measurement of Capabilities – Whole System.

Operational Use Case

As a first responder, the need to investigate accidents, as well as prepare for and adapt during a rescue, requires collecting various types of data about the potentially dangerous environment. In radio-complex outdoor environments, where communications infrastructure may be non-existent, UAS’ ability to collect information, via visual inspection and radio communication, from devices in the field, could be imperative to gaining situational awareness and deploying critical resources to achieve the mission objective.

Components Paper Submission

Section

Word/Page Limit

Description

Cover Page and Abstract

Form Fields & 1,000 words

Form fields include the following:

Contestant name (individual, team, organization, company)
Application title
Technical and business points of contact (name, phone, address, email address)

Contestant abstracts shall describe succinctly (1,000-word MAXIMUM):

The proposed technology contribution.
How it can improve performance in the stated application.

Research Paper

10 pages (IEEE 2-column format)

Contestants shall describe their proposed technology contribution and how it can contribute to the stated Operational Use Case applications. Competition organizers will provide an example Call for Papers at the outset of the stage.

Summary Slide

1 page

Contestants shall provide a single slide (text no smaller than 10 point) in PDF format summarizing the proposed project. A quad chart layout is recommended.

NOTE: Submission(s) must not use NIST’s logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.

How to Participate in Stage 1

Visit Challenge.gov to review all challenge stages.
View the Specifications & Metrics for the challenge.
Register for the Contestant Portal for entry, which includes reviewing and accepting the terms and conditions of participation.
Review all Stage 1 Resources.
Complete the submission requirements for the Stage 1, and submit the required Components Paper via the challenge website Contestant Portal.
Up to 10 contestants will receive cash prize awards.