Innovation Challenge:
Disruptive Ideas for Aerospace and Security
This Challenge is
CLOSED

Key Dates
Challenge Began
April 17, 2018
Solutions Due By
June 16, 2018
Winners Announced
Fall 2018
Can we break the barriers set by the aerospace and security industries?
From April 17th to June 16th, 2018, 795 solvers from 44 countries worked to develop ideas in the areas of autonomy, human augmentation, or blockchain technologies. Lockheed Martin and The New York Academy of Sciences convened a diverse panel of creative problem-solvers to help identify a specific focus area where we could generate high-impact ideas. We invited solvers from around the world to participate in the challenge for a chance to win a $20,000 USD grand prize. The winning solution, created by Bryan Knouse was IRIS, a voice controlled interface for Patriot Missile Systems. You can learn more about the winning solution and the solvers who designed them.
Human augmentation, or technology used to enhance human beings, is changing the way we work and live. Sensors and wearables that can be used to monitor our vitals and detect danger are proving to be life-saving across sectors. Augmented reality is giving people access to information in new ways. Advances in human augmentation can improve safety and endurance by allowing people to withstand the elements longer and perform better.
Additionally, the applications for blockchain are still being explored, but as more and more of our work goes exclusively digital, there is potential for it to provide new solutions for security and transparency. Blockchain technology provides a way to record and transfer data that is transparent, safe, and resistant to change. The power of blockchain is still relatively unknown making this the ideal time to harness its technological ability to secure, track, and maintain records.
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The Challenge
Lockheed Martin and The New York Academy of Sciences invited solvers from around the world to participate in an open innovation challenge focused on autonomy, human augmentation, or blockchain technologies. Read the full challenge statement including the question and background here.
How It Works
After signing up to participate, solvers self-selected into teams and worked together on Launchpad, a virtual interactive platform which safely facilitates global collaboration and problem solving. Using Launchpad, solvers from around the world participated, in teams or individually, to design a malnutrition solution by answering the question proposed.
Key Dates
Challenge Began: April 17, 2018
Solutions Due: June 16, 2018
Winners Announced: February 2019

Key Dates
Challenge Began
April 17, 2018
Solutions Due By
June 16, 2018
Winners Announced
Fall 2018
First Place - $20,000 USD
Iris
IRIS is a voice controlled interface for Patriot Missile Systems that leverages software automation and speech technology in high-pressure scenarios to reduce human cognitive overload and enable the operator to better focus on mission-critical decisions. The end result is a human operator who is able to focus and make critical decisions effectively and at speed.
Team Member: Bryan Knouse
Second Place - $15,000 USD
Improving Urban Situational Awareness
Garrett Colby and Dan Cornett designed an assistive technology that could help drivers focus while behind the wheel. While no technology can remove modern day distractions, a modular sensor array could collect data about roadside conditions and unobtrusively alert the driver to potential hazards. The pair plan to combine neural networks, RADAR, LiDAR, and a 360 degree camera, to continuously collect information on roadside conditions. The weakness of one sensor could be compensated for, with the strength of another, while the data provided by each, individually could be compared to ensure accuracy.
Team Members: Garrett Colby and Dan Cornett
Third Place - $10,000 USD
Augmented Superluminal Communication
Gabriel Bolgenhagen Schöninger developed augmented systems to reduce the barriers of human communication and feelings of isolation in long distance space flight. His solution combined wearable technologies, biometric sensors and augmented reality to simulate conversation.
Team Member: Gabriel Bolgenhagen Schöninger