2022 CommanDING Tech Challenge

About the Command Dashboard Integrating Next-Gen Technology Challenge (CommanDING Tech)

Compete for $1M in total prizes, innovate with public safety plus a chance to demo your dashboard at a live event

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division is hosting 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 aims to improve the quality of incident command dashboards and, in turn, improve the effectiveness of emergency response. Contestants will bring new technology to the arena or improve their existing technology throughout the Challenge. The finalists will showcase their dashboards by completing a public safety emergency scenario in real time. Contestants' dashboards can use 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 must be able 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 will award prizes valued at up to $1,000,000 to Contestants that meet the eligibility requirements.

For the most up-to-date contest information, including signing up for challenge updates, visit www.freelancer.com/nist/first-responder-dashboard.

For official challenge rules, please visit https://www.challenge.gov/?challenge=commandingtech.

Background information

The goal of this Challenge is 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 must demonstrate an improvement to their updated dashboard throughout the Challenge. Public safety experts and video and data analytics professionals will support 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 must submit a concept paper and images or videos of their dashboards.
• Phase 2a – Public Safety Collaboration: Contestants will partner with a public safety entity throughout the Challenge. If the Contestants do not already have a partnership with a public safety entity, they will be provided a list of available public safety officials. Contestants will submit a letter that entails their partnership with a public safety partner. 
• Phase 2b – Video Demonstration: Contestants will document the progress they have made on their prototypes through a written update and a video demonstration of the prototype with the Judging panel.
• Phase 3 – Lab Assessment: the Judging Panel will test each Contestant’s dashboard at a Department of Commerce laboratory space in Boulder, Colorado, using the prototype to execute an emergency response with simulated data.
• Phase 4 – Technology Demonstration: Demonstration event is a live, staged, public safety emergency in a multi-story building where teams will showcase their dashboard's capabilities.

Additional challenge information

The CommanDING Tech Challenge is being hosted by NIST’s PSCR Division and managed by Freelancer.com and LMI. The Challenge partners are 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.