Our six finalist teams competed in localization and ruggedization tests at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center from October 23-27, 2023. Congratulations to each of the teams, with their awarded prize amounts below:
Ascent Integrated Tech: $507,500
AdaptiTrace: $507,500
BC Sysnav: $307,500
Ravenswood: $307,500
Epic Blue: $107,500
Nav4you (CHARLI): $22,050
A team of expert judges evaluated submissions to determine the six recipients of the $1,128,000 total prize purse for Phase Four.
Following in-person demonstrations at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC) in Muscatatuck, Indiana, the following teams were named Phase Four Prize Winners recognizing excellence in continued solution development and demonstration of a viable life-saving solution. Phase Four submission included refined whitepapers, including a business plan, in-person scenario data, and a narrative summary of scenario data.
The Phase Four Award Winners were awarded prize money according to their team placement. The final award winner placement was:
- Ascent Integrated Tech (Team Smart Firefighting), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois
- Ravenswood, headquartered in Fremont, California
- AdaptiTrace, headquartered in Holly Springs, North Carolina
- Tie between three teams:
- BC Sysnav, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland
- Nav4you (CHARLI), headquartered in Bouguenais, France
- Epic Blue, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium
“The in-person competition at MUTC highlighted the impressive solutions in development. In real-world scenarios, the Award Winners demonstrated significant promise for the development of a meaningful solution for Phase saving first responder lives,” said Sonny Kirkley, FRST project director. “The competitive teams have paired first responder experience understanding with innovation and technical expertise to bring innovative, thoughtful solutions to bear.”
The in-person solution competition took place at MUTC from March 27 to March 30, 2023. A 1,000-acre urban training facility located near Butlerville, Indiana, MUTC is used to train civilian first responders, Foreign Service Institute, joint civilian/military response operations, and military urban warfare. FRST Challenge teams from all over the world tested their technology in four real-world scenarios including search and rescue, active shooter, and structure fires.
Phase Four was intended to determine solution viability in real-world scenarios. Technology was worn by members of the Columbus Fire Department and data was collected as the technology was taken through each scenario encountering environmental challenges such as darkness and smoke.
Phase 3 submissions were evaluated by a team of expert judges to determine the 10 recipients of the $449,000 total prize.
“Phase Three submissions confirmed that competitors are developing viable technology on a path to saving first responder lives,” said Sonny Kirkley, FRST project director. “The submitted data demonstrated that solutions are becoming increasingly accurate and full of potential; therefore, the solution field continues to competitively narrow. We’re eager to see the solutions in person with Phase Four submission.”
Competing teams have brought together individuals with backgrounds in academia, technology, entrepreneurship, students, and more. Each team includes a variety of technical and design skills, as well as a First Responder mentor. The winning teams include:
Phase Three submissions were intended to validate solution designs. Required deliverables for Phase Three included a complete system design, benchmark data of performance including sensor data, and a video demonstration of the system in action.
