layout	permalink	challenge-id	status	sidenav	card-image	agency-logo	challenge-title	tagline	agency	partner-agencies-federal	partners-non-federal	external-url	total-prize-offered-cash	type-of-challenge	submission-start	submission-end	submission-link	prize	fiscal-year	legal-authority	challenge-manager	challenge-manager-email	description	prizes	rules	judging	how-to-enter
front-matter-data	/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/	934	closed	true	/assets/images/cards/Stock_LBSUI_515.png	NIST_logo.png	Virtual Reality Heads-Up-Display Navigation Challenge	Create HUD concept with Location-Based Services (LBS) capabilities in a VR environment	Department of Commerce - National Institute of Standards and Technology				$87,500	Software and apps	01/02/2018 05:00 PM	01/29/2018 09:00 PM		true	FY18	America COMPETES	Craig Connelly	craig.connelly@nist.gov	<p><strong>Submissions have been extended to 9 p.m. ET, Monday, Jan. 29. </strong></p> <p>Join us for this exciting VR (virtual reality) prize competition using your ingenuity, software coding and VR expertise to create a concept for a heads-up display (HUD) with unimpeded visual aids.  The result of the<strong> First Responder Virtual Reality (VR) Heads-up-Display (HUD) Navigation Challenge </strong>will support the public safety community and its stakeholders.</p> <p>You (the contestant) will showcase your VR skills and create a solution that helps advance User Interface (UI) technology through research.  UI is “the means by which a user and a technology system interact; including how users input, access, and navigate data and communications through the technology.”  Examples of UIs are haptic feedback mechanisms (e.g., sound, vibration), vocal commands, and visual indicators (e.g., heads-up displays).  Historically, UI design has been broad and rarely targeted for Public Safety however, it’s critical that first responders complete their tasks efficiently and effectively with minimum impediment.</p> <p>NIST Public Safety Communications Research Program is hosting this 4-stage challenge, with prize awards up to $125,000 (prizes plus travel) for the top 7 designs. In addition to the cash prize, finalists will have speaking engagements, networking opportunities, and paid travel to the 2018 PSCR Stakeholder conference. There are no fees or qualifications to enter the first stage.  The Stage 1 winning ideas will be eligible for remaining stages of the competition. (see Official Rules) You can make a difference!  Continue reading for contest stages and details, and <strong>enter by January 29,</strong> <strong>2018</strong>, here on Challenge.gov on the submit entry tab to the left.</p> <h3>PROGRAM EMAIL</h3> <p>For questions about Challenge or Official Rules, contact PSprizes@nist.gov.</p> <h3>SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES</h3> <p>STAGE 1:  CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST (open 1/2/17 - close 1/29/18) STAGE 2:  WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE (open 2/5/18 - close 3/9/18) STAGE 3:  HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 1 (open 3/19/18 - close 5/11/18) STAGE 4:  HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2 (open 6/4/18 - close 6/9/18)  </p> <table style="border-collapse:collapse; height:923px;"> <thead> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="57"><strong>Stages</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;"><strong>Contest Description</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="233"><strong>Review Criteria Summary</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="105"><strong>Number of Contestants</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="179"><strong>Awards</strong></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="47">1</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;">Concept Papers open call to all contestants</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="223">Best approach, strongest concept, mock up video or sketches, and write up.</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="95">Open to all eligible contestants</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="169">Invitation to introduction and challenge kickoff webinar; up to 30 selected.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="47">2</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;">Working Concept and HUD Prototype</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="223">Compliance testing based on Vive Unreal virtual reality environment, and evaluation of general usability and functionality.</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="95">up to 30 invitations only</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="169">NIST PSCR provides full VR environment; up to 16 selected.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="47">3</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;">HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="223">Interactive test and evaluation of prototypes within NIST PSCR’s virtual reality environment.</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="95">up to 16 invitations only</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="169">Travel to June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting for finalist:  up to $4,000 per contestant or team, up to 10 selected.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="47">4</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;">HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="223">Live demonstration of prototype in NIST PSCR virtual reality environment at June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting.</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="95">up to 10 invitations only</td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="169">Interaction with over 500 stakeholder meeting contestants, representing all segments of the Public Safety community.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="border-top:1px solid gray; border-bottom:1px solid gray; border-left:1px solid gray; text-align:center;" width="47"> </td> <td style="border-top:1px solid gray; border-bottom:1px solid gray; text-align:left;">Finalist Awarded</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; text-align:center;" width="223">Prototype will be tested and evaluated by the NIST PSCR Judge panel to determine the final awards.</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; text-align:center;" width="95">up to 7 final awards</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; text-align:center;" width="169">1st Place $25,000; 2nd $20,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $10,000; 5th $7,500; 6th $5,000; 7th $2,500</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> </p> <h3>SUMMARY OF CONTESTS</h3> <p>The following is only a summary of each contest. For more information please review the full details of each contest terms and conditions as provided throughout this document.</p> <h4>STAGE 1:  Concept Paper Contest</h4> <p>The Concept Paper Contest invites all eligible contestants to complete a concept paper outlining their knowledge, skills, capabilities and approach for this challenge. The contest will be divided into two groups; concepts for Firefighters and concepts for Law Enforcement. Contestants’ concept papers will be reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and judges to select those contestants to be invited to the challenge kickoff webinar. Contestants selected by the judge panel will be eligible to move forward to the Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest.</p> <h4>STAGE 2:  Working Concept and HUD Prototype</h4> <p>The Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest will be open to up to 30 invited contestants. Contestants will bring their concept to life by creating the software code for compliance testing, based on a Vive Unreal VR environment, and evaluation of general usability and functionality. Contestants can create their working concept HUD prototype in any compliant environment. Based on the compliance testing and functional evaluation, up to 16 contestants will be invited to participate in the next contest, HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1.</p> <h4>STAGE 3:  HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1</h4> <p>PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants with a fully functional VR environment, scenario details (i.e., Law Enforcement Hostage and Fire Fighter Earthquake) and operational parameters for fire (i.e., Oxygen levels, temperatures, victim location, hazard locations) and law enforcement scenarios (i.e., hostage location, partner location, threat location, time-based hazard) to contestants for interactive testing and evaluation of their initial HUD prototype. Each contestant’s HUD prototype must meet UI/UX and functional navigation elements, for example, oxygen/time-based hazard and temperature for fire. The contestants are encouraged to collaborate with mentors and advisors and complete a series of interactive tests and evaluations to improve their prototype. Up to 10 contestants will be invited to the HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2 contest. Contestants invited will receive travel funding to attend the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting, up to $4,000 per contestant or team, and compete in the final contest of the challenge.</p> <h4>STAGE 4:  HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2</h4> <p>Contestants will complete a series of live demonstrations using their HUD prototype in NIST PSCR’s virtual reality environment at the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting. Each contestant will have the opportunity to attend the meeting, interact with over 500 meeting contestants who represent all segments of the Public Safety community, and compete for up to seven (7) cash prizes. HUD prototypes will be tested and evaluated by the NIST PSCR Judge panel for final awards (1st Place $25,000; 2nd $20,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $10,000; 5th $7,500; 6th $5,000; 7th $2,500).</p>	<p><strong>STAGE 1:  CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST</strong></p> <p>Congratulations to the 16 winners of Stage 1:  Team Easily Immersive - Q Team - Team DeepScience - Team NextGen Interactions - Team Symstemics - Team Screen Door Labs - Team FIST - Team Navteca - Team REI - Team ENGRdynamics - Team MiniSim - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR - Team EnhanceVR - Team Intelligent Masks</p> <p><strong>STAGE 2:  WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE</strong></p> <p>Congrats to the 7 winners of Stage 2, who will receive the PSCR VR environment to compete in Stage 3; Team DeepScience - Team NextGen Interactions - Team Screen Door Labs - Team ENGRdynamics - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR</p> <p><strong>STAGE 3:  HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 1</strong></p> <p>Congrats to the 6 winners of Stage 3, who will travel to June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting, receiving up to $4,000 per contestant or team for travel expenses, to compete in Stage 4; Team NextGen Interactions - Team Screen Door Labs - Team ENGRdynamics - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR.</p> <p><strong>STAGE 4:  HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2:  $87,500.00</strong></p> <p>Congrats to the finalists who were eligible for prizes and notoriety at the 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting. Two teams tied for 1st Place $25k - Team ENGRdynamics & Team LookOnVRTU; 3rd Place $15k-Team NextGen; 4th Place $10k-Team Screen Door Labs; 5th Place $7.5k-Team IFIVR/Guardian Airwaves; 6th Place $5k-Team FactualVR.</p>	<h1>OFFICIAL RULES OF CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST (stage 1)</h1> <h2>Introduction:</h2> <p>The Concept Paper Contest invites all eligible contestants to complete a concept paper outlining their knowledge, skills, capabilities and approach for this challenge. The contest will be divided into two groups; concepts for Firefighters and concepts for Law Enforcement. Contestants’ concept papers will be reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and judges to select those contestants to be invited to the challenge kickoff webinar. Contestants selected by the judge panel will be eligible to move forward to the Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest.</p> <h2>Important Dates:</h2> <p>https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/</p> <h2>How To Enter:</h2> <ul> <li>Visit Challenge.gov, review the series of contests in The First Responder VR HUD Navigation Challenge.</li> <li>Complete the submission requirements for the Concept Paper Contest, submit the required concept paper and summary slide, and, as an option, include sketches or mock-up video with your entry as a registered contestant via Challenge.gov by the required date.</li> <li>Additional information on how to complete a contestant entry is available at:  https://www.challenge.gov/how-it-works/</li> <li>Contestants may only complete a concept paper for either the Firefighter or the Law Enforcement group within the Concept Paper contest.</li> </ul> <h2>Evaluation Criteria:</h2> <p>Concept Papers are evaluated based on the following criteria:</p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td width="534"> <h4>Criterion 1:  Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome (50%)</h4> </td> <td width="90"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" width="624">This criterion involves consideration of the following factors:  ·         <strong>Strategic Alignment</strong> – The extent to which the proposed approach meets the objectives listed in the goals of the challenge; the responsiveness to the firefighter and law enforcement scenarios; the likelihood that successful implementation of the proposed solution will have a significant real-world impact. ·         <strong>Technical Outcome</strong> – Extent to which the proposed approach will result in significant improvement in commercially available technology and will potentially result in a technical outcome which enables considerable progress toward the challenge goals.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="534"> <h4>Criterion 2:  Feasibility & Team (50%)</h4> </td> <td width="90"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" width="624">This criterion involves consideration of the following factors:    ·         <strong>Team</strong> – The extent to which the capability of the contestant(s) can address all aspects of the proposed project with a high chance of success, including, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant expertise, and time commitment of the contestants. Reviewers will evaluate:  (a) The relevance of the qualifications and experience of the key staff, leadership, and technical experts. (b) The extent of the applicants’ prior experience and the quality of the results achieved in leading programs similar in nature to the purpose, scope, etc. ·         <strong>Plan</strong> – Contestant(s) plan to manage the limited schedule, resources, project risks and other challenges, and produce high quality project outcomes, in pursuit of the challenge goals.  </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Concept Papers will be evaluated based on the criteria above. Each Concept Paper will be reviewed by at least two reviewers and be assigned a score for each criterion, 0-10 for each criterion. The scores have the following meaning:    <em> </em></p> <h4>Scoring for Concept Papers</h4> <table width="528"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="36">10</td> <td width="492">Contestant has strong potential to aid in the achievement of the goals of the challenge</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="36">1-9</td> <td width="492">Varying degrees of certainty the contestant may have the potential to aid in the achievement of the goals of the challenge</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="36">0</td> <td width="492">Contestant does not have the potential to aid in the achievement of the goals of the challenge</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h4>Weighting of Criteria for Concept Papers</h4> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td width="456">Criterion 1:  Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome</td> <td width="78">50%</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="456">Criterion 2:  Feasibility & Team</td> <td width="78">50%</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <h2>Judges</h2> <p>The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant.   The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</p> <h2>VERIFICATION OF WINNERS:</h2> <p>ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology   Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize.   In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if:  (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.</p> <h2>SUBMISSION AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS</h2> <h3>SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:</h3> <p>In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:</p> <ul> <li>Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</li> <li>No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.</li> <li>Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.</li> <li>Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not:  (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.</li> <li>Each Submission must be in English.</li> <li>Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.</li> <li>If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.</li> </ul> <h4><a name="_Toc439943217"></a>Concept Paper Content Requirements</h4> <p>The Concept Paper must conform to the following content requirements:</p> <table style="height:1581px; border-collapse:collapse;" width="640"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="158"><strong>SECTION</strong> <strong>(Start each section on a new page)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="100"><strong>PAGE LIMIT</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="397"><strong>DESCRIPTION</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="148"><strong>Cover Page and Abstract</strong> <strong>(required)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="89">1 page maximum</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; padding:1em;" width="387">Contestant (Individual, Team, Organization, Company) name and Application title. Technical and business points of contact and best way to contact them. Describe succinctly (500-word MAXIMUM):  ·         The unique aspects of the contestants’ approach and the potential impact that the proposed approach could have in achieving the goals of the challenge. ·         Note:  Do not include proprietary or sensitive information in this summary.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="148"><strong>Project Description</strong> <strong>(required)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center;" width="89">4 pages maximum</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; padding:1em;" width="387">Addressing the scoring criteria should be your primary objective, therefore, create your concept paper to address the criteria. Below are a few options to consider:  ·         The contestant’s knowledge, skills, and capabilities as they relate to the goals of the challenge. ·         The current state-of-the-art in the relevant field and application, including key shortcomings, limitations, costs, and challenges and how the proposed project will overcome the shortcomings, limitations, and challenges in the relevant to the goals of the challenge. ·         The competitive advantage offered by the contestant’s approach or solution. ·         High-level vision for performance metrics. Describe what will be produced, when it will be produced, and how it will be verified. Start by defining the baseline capability and end project performance metric in quantifiable/verifiable terms. Then fill in interim performance metrics. (This will be closely reviewed so consider this carefully and use numbers).</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="148"><strong>Resume Information for Key Team Members (required)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="89">3-5 pages</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; padding:1em;" width="387">The key team members and why they are well suited to accomplish the project, with supporting resume information to support their qualifications.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="148"><strong>Summary Slide</strong> <strong>(required)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="89">1 page</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; padding:1em;" width="387">Applicants are required to provide a single slide summarizing the proposed project.  The recommended format can be found at challenge.gov link.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="148"><strong>Letters of Support (optional)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="89">1 page max. per Letter of Support</td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; padding:1em;" width="387">You may attach up to 3 letters of support from external entities (1-page maximum per letter). Multi-page Letters of Support are not allowed, any extra pages will not be reviewed.</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="148"><strong>Concept Sketches and/or Mock Up Video</strong> <strong>(optional)</strong></td> <td style="text-align:center; border:1px solid gray;" width="89"> <p style="text-align:center;">1-3 page(s)</p> <p style="text-align:center;">1-2 min</p> </td> <td style="border:1px solid gray; padding:1em;" width="387">A single, 1-3 page, concept sketch may be provided and must be in a .pdf format. A single, 1-2 min, video may be provided and provided with an accessible online link within the application materials.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>  NIST will not review or consider ineligible Concept Papers. NIST makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the evaluation criteria. During the review, each subject matter expert reviewer will review entire concept papers to which they are assigned. The review is not done in sections with different reviewers responsible for different assigned sections. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeat information in every part of the concept paper. Do not include sensitive materials in the concept paper, for example personally identifiable information like social security numbers, business sensitive information like tax id numbers, etc.</p> <h3>CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:</h3> <p>To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States or its territories.  Contestants may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment.  NIST Guest Researchers, as well as direct recipients of NIST funding awards through any Center of Excellence established by NIST, are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive cash awards. Non-NIST Federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this Competition is permissible.  Contestants, including individuals and private entities, must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. Contestants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the Federal Government.  Multiple individuals and/or legal entities may collaborate as a group to submit a single entry and a single individual from the group must be designated as an official representative for each entry.  That designated individual will be responsible for meeting all entry and evaluation requirements.</p> <h3>TEAMS:</h3> <p>Contest submissions can be from an individual or a team(s). If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, NIST will award a single dollar amount to the winning Team(s) and each Team, whether consisting of a single or multiple contestants, is solely responsible for allocating any prize amount among its member contestants as they deem appropriate. NIST will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve any matters between entrant members. It will be up to the winning Team(s) to reallocate the prize money among its member contestants, if they deem it appropriate.</p> <h3>SUBMISSION RIGHTS:</h3> <p>Any applicable intellectual property rights to a submission will remain with the Contestant.  By participating in the prize challenge, the Contestant is not granting any rights in any patents, pending patent applications, or copyrights related to the technology described in the Entry.  However, by submitting a contest submission, the Contestant is granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology certain limited rights as set forth herein.</p> <ul> <li>The Contestant grants to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology the right to review the submission, to describe the submission in any materials created in connection with this competition, and to screen and evaluate the submission. The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology will also have the right to publicize Contestant’s name and, as applicable, the names of Contestant’s team members and/or organization which participated in the submission following the conclusion of the competition.</li> <li>As part of its submission, the Contestant must provide written consent granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Contestant’s entry (“demonstration license”). This demonstration license includes posting or linking to the Contestant’s entry on the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology websites, including the competition website and inclusion of the Contestant’s submission in any other media, worldwide.</li> </ul> <h3>WARRANTIES</h3> <p>Each contestant represents and warrants that the contestant is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the contestant and that the contestant has acquired sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules, that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the contestant is aware; and that the submission is free of malware. By submitting an Entry, the Contestant represents and warrants that all information submitted is true and complete to the best of the Contestant’s knowledge, that the Contestant has the right and authority to submit the Entry on the Contestant’s own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that the Contestant specifies within the Entry, and that the Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/idea/treatment protocol/solution described in the Entry):</p> <ul> <li>Is the Contestant’s own original work, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within the Entry;</li> <li>does not contain trade secrets (the Contestant’s or anyone else’s);</li> <li>does not knowingly violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;</li> <li>does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;</li> <li>does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation, including, without limitation, United States export laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Department of Commerce Export Regulations; and</li> <li>does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.</li> </ul> <h1>OFFICIAL RULES OF WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE CONTEST (stage 2)</h1> <h2>Introduction:</h2> <p>The Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest will be open to up to 30 invited contestants. Contestants will bring their concept to life by creating the software code for compliance testing, based on a Vive Unreal VR environment, and evaluation of general usability and functionality. Contestants can create their working concept HUD prototype in any compliant environment. Based on the compliance testing and functional evaluation, up to 16 contestants will be invited to participate in the next contest, HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1.</p> <h2>Important Dates:</h2> <p>https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/</p> <h2>How to Enter:</h2> <ul> <li>Complete the research and coding required for your prototype HUD design.</li> <li>Ensure that code is compliant with the best practices for VR environments.</li> <li>Provide your entry to PSCR for compliance testing and functional evaluation.</li> <li>Contestants invited to submit their work for this contest will be required to register for a NIST secure file transfer account. Information on this account and how it works can be accessed here:  https://nfiles.nist.gov.</li> <li>The contestants with compliant designs, and the greatest functionality will advance to the next contest in the challenge.</li> </ul> <h2>Evaluation Criteria and Judging:</h2> <p>PSCR will initially review submissions for compliance with the objectives and Official Rules of this contest. A submission that fails to meet the compliance criteria will be disqualified and will be ineligible to compete in this contest. Submissions that pass the initial compliance review will be evaluated and scored by a panel of judges. An evaluation of a submission by a panel of judges does not constitute the NIST's final determination of contestant or submission eligibility. Submissions will be judged according to the three scoring criteria below:</p> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#1:  Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)</h3> <ul> <li>The compliance testing includes a series of checks to ensure that users will not experience simulator sickness while completing the required reviews and judging. There are a series of checks including VR movement speed, environment colors and textures, and other criteria listed in the best practices for VR environments.</li> <li>Each contestant entry will be reviewed against this check list for VR environments on the Unreal Engine. Contestant’s should use this checklist as well to ensure they are compliant and their entry is ready for review and judging.</li> </ul> <ul> <li style="list-style-type:none;"> <ul> <li>https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Platforms/VR/ContentSetup/index.html</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#2:  HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 50/100)</h3> <ul> <li>Integration of key data into the HUD that supports key elements of the public safety mission. Reviewers will evaluate each contestant’s demonstrated knowledge of public safety requirements, missions, operations, and tasks.</li> <li>The quality, content, and quantity of data elements integrated into the HUD, the use of this data to enable users to make decisions, and how this data interfaces with navigational and non-navigational functions.</li> <li>Required HUD functions vary by scenario, contestants must have the minimum functions, and can include additional functions if applicable to the scenario and align with the goals and objectives of the challenge, for example:  <ul> <li>Law Enforcement Hostage:  operational parameters for law enforcement include hostage location, partner location, threat location, and time-based hazards.</li> <li>Fire Fighter Earthquake:  operational parameters for fire include oxygen levels in the fire fighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), temperatures within the VR environment, victim location, and hazard locations.</li> <li>For both scenarios, the HUD must include a functional settings menu to enable the users to toggle through choices which customize the HUD. For example, color, font size, icon size, etc.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#3:  HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 50/100)</h3> <ul> <li>The integration of data elements within the HUD for use in navigational functions.</li> <li>Effectiveness of the data analysis, ability to calculate navigational routes, assess risks, and manage those risks to increase the safety of the First Responder utilizing the technology.</li> <li>The quality of the UI/UX utilize for navigation tasks within the HUD.</li> <li>Ability to toggle through different navigation settings, for example waypoint, breadcrumb, map, floor plan, etc.</li> <li>Ability to toggle through different objectives, for example find partner, find exit, etc. depending on scenario and calculate multiple routes that update on the fly in response to a changing environment. The routes may include the lowest risk, fastest, highest risk, etc. and the updating function will enable nearly real-time navigation of the environment.</li> </ul> <h2>Judges</h2> <p>The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant.   The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</p> <h2>Verification of Winners</h2> <p>ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology   Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize.   In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if:  (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.</p> <h2>Submission and Eligibility Requirements</h2> <h3>Submission Requirements</h3> <p>In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:</p> <ul> <li>Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</li> <li>No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.</li> <li>Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.</li> <li>Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not:  (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.</li> <li>Each Submission must be in English.</li> <li>Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.</li> <li>If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.</li> </ul> <h3>CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:</h3> <p>To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States or its territories.  Contestants may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment.  NIST Guest Researchers, as well as direct recipients of NIST funding awards through any Center of Excellence established by NIST, are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive cash awards. Non-NIST Federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this Competition is permissible.  Contestants, including individuals and private entities, must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. Contestants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the Federal Government.  Multiple individuals and/or legal entities may collaborate as a group to submit a single entry and a single individual from the group must be designated as an official representative for each entry.  That designated individual will be responsible for meeting all entry and evaluation requirements.</p> <h3>TEAMS:</h3> <p>Contest submissions can be from an individual or a team(s). If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, NIST will award a single dollar amount to the winning Team(s) and each Team, whether consisting of a single or multiple contestants, is solely responsible for allocating any prize amount among its member contestants as they deem appropriate. NIST will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve any matters between entrant members. It will be up to the winning Team(s) to reallocate the prize money among its member contestants, if they deem it appropriate.</p> <h3>SUBMISSION RIGHTS:</h3> <p>Any applicable intellectual property rights to a submission will remain with the Contestant.  By participating in the prize challenge, the Contestant is not granting any rights in any patents, pending patent applications, or copyrights related to the technology described in the Entry.  However, by submitting a contest submission, the Contestant is granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology certain limited rights as set forth herein.</p> <ul> <li>The Contestant grants to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology the right to review the submission, to describe the submission in any materials created in connection with this competition, and to screen and evaluate the submission. The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology will also have the right to publicize Contestant’s name and, as applicable, the names of Contestant’s team members and/or organization which participated in the submission following the conclusion of the competition.</li> <li>As part of its submission, the Contestant must provide written consent granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Contestant’s entry (“demonstration license”). This demonstration license includes posting or linking to the Contestant’s entry on the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology websites, including the competition website and inclusion of the Contestant’s submission in any other media, worldwide.</li> </ul> <h3>WARRANTIES</h3> <p>Each contestant represents and warrants that the contestant is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the contestant and that the contestant has acquired sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules, that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the contestant is aware; and that the submission is free of malware. By submitting an Entry, the Contestant represents and warrants that all information submitted is true and complete to the best of the Contestant’s knowledge, that the Contestant has the right and authority to submit the Entry on the Contestant’s own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that the Contestant specifies within the Entry, and that the Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/idea/treatment protocol/solution described in the Entry):</p> <ul> <li>Is the Contestant’s own original work, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within the Entry;</li> <li>does not contain trade secrets (the Contestant’s or anyone else’s);</li> <li>does not knowingly violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;</li> <li>does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;</li> <li>does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation, including, without limitation, United States export laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Department of Commerce Export Regulations; and</li> <li>does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.</li> </ul> <h1>OFFICIAL RULES OF HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1 (stage 3)</h1> <h2>Introduction:</h2> <p>PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants with a fully functional VR environment, scenario details (i.e., Law Enforcement Hostage and Fire Fighter Earthquake) and operational parameters for fire (i.e., Oxygen levels, temperatures, victim location, hazard locations) and law enforcement scenarios (i.e., hostage location, partner location, threat location, time-based hazard) to contestants for interactive testing and evaluation of their initial HUD prototype. Each contestant’s HUD prototype must meet UI/UX and functional navigation elements, for example, oxygen/time-based hazard and temperature for fire. The contestants are encouraged to collaborate with mentors and advisors and complete a series of interactive tests and evaluations to improve their prototype. Up to 10 contestants will be invited to the HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2 contest. Contestants invited will receive travel funding to attend the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting, up to $4,000 per contestant or team, and compete in the final contest of the challenge.</p> <h2>Important Dates:</h2> <p>https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/</p> <h2>How to Enter:</h2> <ul> <li>Invited contestants will receive detailed instructions on how to access the PSCR environment, the allowable uses of that environment, and details regarding each scenario (firefighter and law enforcement).</li> <li>Each contestant will independently integrate their HUD prototype into the PSCR provided environment and complete a series of compliance and functional evaluations to access the effectiveness of their HUD design.</li> <li>To document these independent compliance tests and functional evaluations, each contestant will complete a series of short recording of their tests, and complete a demonstration of their work with PSCR reviewers and the contest judges.</li> </ul> <h2>Evaluation Criteria and Judging:</h2> <p>PSCR will initially review submissions for compliance with the objectives and Official Rules of this contest. A submission that fails to meet the compliance criteria will be disqualified and will be ineligible to compete in this contest. Submissions that pass the initial compliance review will be evaluated and scored by a panel of judges. An evaluation of a submission by a panel of judges does not constitute the NIST's final determination of contestant or submission eligibility. Submissions will be judged according to the four scoring criteria below:</p> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#1:  Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)</h3> <ul> <li>The compliance testing includes a series of checks to ensure that users will not experience simulator sickness while completing the required reviews and judging. There are a series of checks including VR movement speed, environment colors and textures, and other criteria listed in the best practices for VR environments.</li> <li>Each contestant entry will be reviewed against this check list for VR environments on the Unreal Engine. Contestant’s should use this checklist as well to ensure they are compliant and their entry is ready for review and judging. <ul> <li>https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Platforms/VR/ContentSetup/index.html</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#2:  HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 25/100)</h3> <ul> <li>Integration of key data into the HUD that supports key elements of the public safety mission:  reviewers will evaluate:  each contestant’s demonstrated knowledge of public safety requirements, missions, operations, and tasks.</li> <li>The quality, content, and quantity of data elements integrated into the HUD, the use of this data to enable users to make decisions, and how this data interfaces with navigational and non-navigational functions.</li> <li>PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants a fully functional VR environment, scenario information including, for example:  <ul> <li>Law Enforcement Hostage:  operational parameters for law enforcement include hostage location, partner location, threat location, and time-based hazards.</li> <li>Fire Fighter Earthquake:  operational parameters for fire include oxygen levels in the fire fighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), temperatures within the VR environment, victim location, and hazard locations.</li> <li>For both scenarios, the HUD must include a functional settings menu to enable the users to toggle through choices which customize the HUD. For example, color, font size, icon size, etc.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#3:  HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 25/100)</h3> <ul> <li>The integration of data elements within the HUD for use in navigational functions.</li> <li>Effectiveness of the data analysis, ability to calculate navigational routes, assess risks, and manage those risks to increase the safety of the First Responder utilizing the technology.</li> <li>The quality of the UI/UX utilize for navigation tasks within the HUD.</li> <li>Ability to toggle through different navigation settings, for example waypoint, breadcrumb, map, floor plan, etc.</li> <li>Ability to toggle through different objectives, for example find partner, find exit, etc. depending on scenario and calculate multiple routes that update on the fly in response to a changing environment. The routes may include the lowest risk, fastest, highest risk, etc. and the updating function will enable nearly real-time navigation of the environment.</li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#4:  Responsive to Scenario (Max 50/100)</h3> <ul> <li>Each contestant will be assigned a series of tasks as part of the scenario to complete within the PSCR VR environment. These tasks are assigned to test the capabilities of the HUD and its navigation calculations. Scoring will include three components:  <ul> <li>Completion of objectives (for example navigate to partner, navigate to victim, navigate to exit)</li> <li>Navigation of risks (for example did the route assigned minimize risks, did it balance risk with time, etc.)</li> <li>Total time; how long did it take to complete the scenario</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h2>Judges</h2> <p>The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant.   The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</p> <h2>Verification of Winners</h2> <p>ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology   Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize.   In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if:  (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.</p> <h2>Submission and Eligibility Requirements</h2> <h3>Submission Requirements</h3> <p>In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:</p> <ul> <li>Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</li> <li>No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.</li> <li>Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.</li> <li>Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not:  (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.</li> <li>Each Submission must be in English.</li> <li>Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.</li> <li>If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.</li> </ul> <h3>CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:</h3> <p>To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States or its territories.  Contestants may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment.  NIST Guest Researchers, as well as direct recipients of NIST funding awards through any Center of Excellence established by NIST, are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive cash awards. Non-NIST Federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this Competition is permissible.  Contestants, including individuals and private entities, must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. Contestants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the Federal Government.  Multiple individuals and/or legal entities may collaborate as a group to submit a single entry and a single individual from the group must be designated as an official representative for each entry.  That designated individual will be responsible for meeting all entry and evaluation requirements.</p> <h3>TEAMS:</h3> <p>Contest submissions can be from an individual or a team(s). If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, NIST will award a single dollar amount to the winning Team(s) and each Team, whether consisting of a single or multiple contestants, is solely responsible for allocating any prize amount among its member contestants as they deem appropriate. NIST will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve any matters between entrant members. It will be up to the winning Team(s) to reallocate the prize money among its member contestants, if they deem it appropriate.</p> <h3>SUBMISSION RIGHTS:</h3> <p>Any applicable intellectual property rights to a submission will remain with the Contestant.  By participating in the prize challenge, the Contestant is not granting any rights in any patents, pending patent applications, or copyrights related to the technology described in the Entry.  However, by submitting a contest submission, the Contestant is granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology certain limited rights as set forth herein.</p> <ul> <li>The Contestant grants to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology the right to review the submission, to describe the submission in any materials created in connection with this competition, and to screen and evaluate the submission. The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology will also have the right to publicize Contestant’s name and, as applicable, the names of Contestant’s team members and/or organization which participated in the submission following the conclusion of the competition.</li> <li>As part of its submission, the Contestant must provide written consent granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Contestant’s entry (“demonstration license”). This demonstration license includes posting or linking to the Contestant’s entry on the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology websites, including the competition website and inclusion of the Contestant’s submission in any other media, worldwide.</li> </ul> <h3>WARRANTIES</h3> <p>Each contestant represents and warrants that the contestant is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the contestant and that the contestant has acquired sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules, that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the contestant is aware; and that the submission is free of malware.   By submitting an Entry, the Contestant represents and warrants that all information submitted is true and complete to the best of the Contestant’s knowledge, that the Contestant has the right and authority to submit the Entry on the Contestant’s own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that the Contestant specifies within the Entry, and that the Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/idea/treatment protocol/solution described in the Entry):</p> <ul> <li>Is the Contestant’s own original work, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within the Entry;</li> <li>does not contain trade secrets (the Contestant’s or anyone else’s);</li> <li>does not knowingly violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;</li> <li>does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;</li> <li>does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation, including, without limitation, United States export laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Department of Commerce Export Regulations; and</li> <li>does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.</li> </ul> <h1>OFFICIAL RULES OF HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2 (stage 4)</h1> <h2>Introduction:</h2> <p>Contestants will complete a series of live demonstrations using their HUD prototype in NIST PSCR’s virtual reality environment at the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting. Each contestant will have the opportunity to attend the meeting, interact with over 500 meeting contestants who represent all segments of the Public Safety community, and compete for up to seven (7) cash prizes. HUD prototypes will be tested and evaluated by the NIST PSCR Judge panel for final awards (1st Place $25,000; 2nd $20,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $10,000; 5th $7,500; 6th $5,000; 7th $2,500).</p> <h2>Important Dates:</h2> <p>https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/</p> <h2>How to Enter:</h2> <ul> <li>Invited contestants will receive an email with information on how to access the PSCR environment, and details regarding each scenario.</li> <li>Each contestant will independently integrate their HUD prototype in the PSCR environment and complete a series of compliance and functional evaluations to access the effectiveness of their design.</li> <li>To document these independent compliance tests and functional evaluations, each contestant will complete a series of short recording of their tests, and complete live demonstration of their work with PSCR reviewers and the contest judges.</li> </ul> <h2>Evaluation Criteria and Judging:</h2> <p>PSCR will initially screen submissions for compliance with the objectives and Official Rules of this contest. A submission that fails to meet the compliance criteria will be disqualified and will be ineligible to compete in this contest. Submissions that pass the initial compliance review will be evaluated and scored by a panel of judges. An evaluation of a submission by a panel of judges does not constitute the NIST's final determination of contestant or submission eligibility. Submissions will be judged according to the five scoring criteria below:</p> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#1:  Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)</h3> <ul> <li>The compliance testing includes a series of checks to ensure that users will not experience simulator sickness while completing the required reviews and judging. There are a series of checks including VR movement speed, environment colors and textures, and other criteria listed in the best practices for VR environments.</li> <li>Each contestant entry will be reviewed against this check list for VR environments on the Unreal Engine. Contestant’s should use this checklist as well to ensure they are compliant and their entry is ready for review and judging. <ul> <li>https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Platforms/VR/ContentSetup/index.html</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#2:  HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 20/100)</h3> <ul> <li>Integration of key data into the HUD that supports key elements of the public safety mission:  reviewers will evaluate:  each contestant’s demonstrated knowledge of public safety requirements, missions, operations, and tasks.</li> <li>The quality, content, and quantity of data elements integrated into the HUD, the use of this data to enable users to make decisions, and how this data interfaces with navigational and non-navigational functions.</li> <li>PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants a fully functional VR environment, scenario information including, for example:  <ul> <li>Law Enforcement Hostage:  operational parameters for law enforcement include hostage location, partner location, threat location, and time-based hazards.</li> <li>Fire Fighter Earthquake:  operational parameters for fire include oxygen levels in the fire fighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), temperatures within the VR environment, victim location, and hazard locations.</li> <li>For both scenarios, the HUD must include a functional settings menu to enable the users to toggle through choices which customize the HUD. For example, color, font size, icon size, etc.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#3:  HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 20/100)</h3> <ul> <li>The integration of data elements within the HUD for use in navigational functions.</li> <li>Effectiveness of the data analysis, ability to calculate navigational routes, assess risks, and manage those risks to increase the safety of the First Responder utilizing the technology.</li> <li>The quality of the UI/UX utilize for navigation tasks within the HUD.</li> <li>Ability to toggle through different navigation settings, for example waypoint, breadcrumb, map, floor plan, etc.</li> <li>Ability to toggle through different objectives, for example find partner, find exit, etc. depending on scenario and calculate multiple routes that update on the fly in response to a changing environment. The routes may include the lowest risk, fastest, highest risk, etc. and the updating function will enable nearly real-time navigation of the environment.</li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#4:  Responsive to Scenario (Max 50/100)</h3> <ul> <li>Each contestant will be assigned a series of tasks as part of the scenario to complete within the PSCR VR environment. These tasks are assigned to test the capabilities of the HUD and its navigation calculations. Scoring will include three components:  <ul> <li>Completion of objectives (for example navigate to partner, navigate to victim, navigate to exit)</li> <li>Navigation of risks (for example did the route assigned minimize risks, did it balance risk with time, etc.)</li> <li>Total time; how long did it take to complete the scenario</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <h3>Scoring Criteria \#5:  Judge Panel Q&A (Max 10/100)</h3> <p>Each contestant will complete a short presentation to the Judge panel, followed by Q&A from the panel.</p> <h2>Judges</h2> <p>The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant.   The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</p> <h2>Verification of Winners</h2> <p>ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology   Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize.   In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if:  (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.</p> <h2>Submission and Eligibility Requirements</h2> <h3>Submission Requirements</h3> <p>In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:</p> <ul> <li>Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.</li> <li>No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.</li> <li>Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.</li> <li>Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not:  (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.</li> <li>A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.</li> <li>Each Submission must be in English.</li> <li>Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.</li> <li>If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.</li> </ul> <h3>CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:</h3> <p>To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United</p>	<div> <p><strong>Stage 1 Criterion 1:  Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome - 50%</strong></p> <p>Congratulations to the 16 winners:  Team Easily Immersive - Q Team - Team DeepScience - Team NextGen Interactions - Team Symstemics - Team Screen Door Labs - Team FIST - Team Navteca - Team REI - Team ENGRdynamics - Team MiniSim - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR - Team EnhanceVR - Team Intelligent Masks</p> </div> <div> <p><strong>Stage 1 Criterion 2:  Feasibility & Team - 50%</strong></p> <p>This criterion involves consideration of the following factors:<br /><br />Team – The extent to which the capability of the contestant(s) can address all aspects of the proposed project with a high chance of success, including, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant expertise, and time commitment of the contestants. Reviewers will evaluate:  (a) The relevance of the qualifications and experience of the key staff, leadership, and technical experts. (b) The extent of the applicants’ prior experience and the quality of the results achieved in leading programs similar in nature to the purpose, scope, etc.<br /><br />Plan – Contestant(s) plan to manage the limited schedule, resources, project risks and other challenges, and produce high quality project outcomes, in pursuit of the challenge goals.<br /><br />* SEE Official Rules for judging criteria associated with all other Stages of the contest</p> </div>	<ul> <li>Visit Challenge.gov, review the series of contests in The First Responder VR HUD Navigation Challenge.</li> <li>Complete the submission requirements for the Concept Paper Contest, submit the required concept paper and summary slide, and, as an option, include sketches or mock-up video with your entry as a registered contestant via Challenge.gov by the required date.</li> <li>Additional information on how to complete a contestant entry is available at:  https://www.challenge.gov/how-it-works/</li> <li>Contestants may only complete a concept paper for either the Firefighter or the Law Enforcement group within the Concept Paper contest.</li> <li>One entry per qualified contestant.</li> </ul>

Description

Submissions have been extended to 9 p.m. ET, Monday, Jan. 29.

Join us for this exciting VR (virtual reality) prize competition using your ingenuity, software coding and VR expertise to create a concept for a heads-up display (HUD) with unimpeded visual aids. The result of the First Responder Virtual Reality (VR) Heads-up-Display (HUD) Navigation Challenge will support the public safety community and its stakeholders.

You (the contestant) will showcase your VR skills and create a solution that helps advance User Interface (UI) technology through research. UI is “the means by which a user and a technology system interact; including how users input, access, and navigate data and communications through the technology.” Examples of UIs are haptic feedback mechanisms (e.g., sound, vibration), vocal commands, and visual indicators (e.g., heads-up displays). Historically, UI design has been broad and rarely targeted for Public Safety however, it’s critical that first responders complete their tasks efficiently and effectively with minimum impediment.

NIST Public Safety Communications Research Program is hosting this 4-stage challenge, with prize awards up to $125,000 (prizes plus travel) for the top 7 designs. In addition to the cash prize, finalists will have speaking engagements, networking opportunities, and paid travel to the 2018 PSCR Stakeholder conference. There are no fees or qualifications to enter the first stage. The Stage 1 winning ideas will be eligible for remaining stages of the competition. (see Official Rules) You can make a difference! Continue reading for contest stages and details, and enter by January 29, 2018, here on Challenge.gov on the submit entry tab to the left.

PROGRAM EMAIL

For questions about Challenge or Official Rules, contact PSprizes@nist.gov.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES

STAGE 1: CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST (open 1/2/17 - close 1/29/18) STAGE 2: WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE (open 2/5/18 - close 3/9/18) STAGE 3: HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 1 (open 3/19/18 - close 5/11/18) STAGE 4: HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2 (open 6/4/18 - close 6/9/18)

Stages	Contest Description	Review Criteria Summary	Number of Contestants	Awards
1	Concept Papers open call to all contestants	Best approach, strongest concept, mock up video or sketches, and write up.	Open to all eligible contestants	Invitation to introduction and challenge kickoff webinar; up to 30 selected.
2	Working Concept and HUD Prototype	Compliance testing based on Vive Unreal virtual reality environment, and evaluation of general usability and functionality.	up to 30 invitations only	NIST PSCR provides full VR environment; up to 16 selected.
3	HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1	Interactive test and evaluation of prototypes within NIST PSCR’s virtual reality environment.	up to 16 invitations only	Travel to June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting for finalist: up to $4,000 per contestant or team, up to 10 selected.
4	HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2	Live demonstration of prototype in NIST PSCR virtual reality environment at June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting.	up to 10 invitations only	Interaction with over 500 stakeholder meeting contestants, representing all segments of the Public Safety community.
	Finalist Awarded	Prototype will be tested and evaluated by the NIST PSCR Judge panel to determine the final awards.	up to 7 final awards	1st Place $25,000; 2nd $20,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $10,000; 5th $7,500; 6th $5,000; 7th $2,500

SUMMARY OF CONTESTS

The following is only a summary of each contest. For more information please review the full details of each contest terms and conditions as provided throughout this document.

STAGE 1: Concept Paper Contest

The Concept Paper Contest invites all eligible contestants to complete a concept paper outlining their knowledge, skills, capabilities and approach for this challenge. The contest will be divided into two groups; concepts for Firefighters and concepts for Law Enforcement. Contestants’ concept papers will be reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and judges to select those contestants to be invited to the challenge kickoff webinar. Contestants selected by the judge panel will be eligible to move forward to the Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest.

STAGE 2: Working Concept and HUD Prototype

The Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest will be open to up to 30 invited contestants. Contestants will bring their concept to life by creating the software code for compliance testing, based on a Vive Unreal VR environment, and evaluation of general usability and functionality. Contestants can create their working concept HUD prototype in any compliant environment. Based on the compliance testing and functional evaluation, up to 16 contestants will be invited to participate in the next contest, HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1.

STAGE 3: HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1

PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants with a fully functional VR environment, scenario details (i.e., Law Enforcement Hostage and Fire Fighter Earthquake) and operational parameters for fire (i.e., Oxygen levels, temperatures, victim location, hazard locations) and law enforcement scenarios (i.e., hostage location, partner location, threat location, time-based hazard) to contestants for interactive testing and evaluation of their initial HUD prototype. Each contestant’s HUD prototype must meet UI/UX and functional navigation elements, for example, oxygen/time-based hazard and temperature for fire. The contestants are encouraged to collaborate with mentors and advisors and complete a series of interactive tests and evaluations to improve their prototype. Up to 10 contestants will be invited to the HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2 contest. Contestants invited will receive travel funding to attend the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting, up to $4,000 per contestant or team, and compete in the final contest of the challenge.

STAGE 4: HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2

Contestants will complete a series of live demonstrations using their HUD prototype in NIST PSCR’s virtual reality environment at the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting. Each contestant will have the opportunity to attend the meeting, interact with over 500 meeting contestants who represent all segments of the Public Safety community, and compete for up to seven (7) cash prizes. HUD prototypes will be tested and evaluated by the NIST PSCR Judge panel for final awards (1st Place $25,000; 2nd $20,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $10,000; 5th $7,500; 6th $5,000; 7th $2,500).

Prizes

STAGE 1: CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST

Congratulations to the 16 winners of Stage 1: Team Easily Immersive - Q Team - Team DeepScience - Team NextGen Interactions - Team Symstemics - Team Screen Door Labs - Team FIST - Team Navteca - Team REI - Team ENGRdynamics - Team MiniSim - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR - Team EnhanceVR - Team Intelligent Masks

STAGE 2: WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE

Congrats to the 7 winners of Stage 2, who will receive the PSCR VR environment to compete in Stage 3; Team DeepScience - Team NextGen Interactions - Team Screen Door Labs - Team ENGRdynamics - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR

STAGE 3: HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 1

Congrats to the 6 winners of Stage 3, who will travel to June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting, receiving up to $4,000 per contestant or team for travel expenses, to compete in Stage 4; Team NextGen Interactions - Team Screen Door Labs - Team ENGRdynamics - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR.

STAGE 4: HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2: $87,500.00

Congrats to the finalists who were eligible for prizes and notoriety at the 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting. Two teams tied for 1st Place $25k - Team ENGRdynamics & Team LookOnVRTU; 3rd Place $15k-Team NextGen; 4th Place $10k-Team Screen Door Labs; 5th Place $7.5k-Team IFIVR/Guardian Airwaves; 6th Place $5k-Team FactualVR.

Rules

OFFICIAL RULES OF CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST (stage 1)

Introduction:

The Concept Paper Contest invites all eligible contestants to complete a concept paper outlining their knowledge, skills, capabilities and approach for this challenge. The contest will be divided into two groups; concepts for Firefighters and concepts for Law Enforcement. Contestants’ concept papers will be reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and judges to select those contestants to be invited to the challenge kickoff webinar. Contestants selected by the judge panel will be eligible to move forward to the Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest.

Important Dates:

https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/

How To Enter:

Visit Challenge.gov, review the series of contests in The First Responder VR HUD Navigation Challenge.
Complete the submission requirements for the Concept Paper Contest, submit the required concept paper and summary slide, and, as an option, include sketches or mock-up video with your entry as a registered contestant via Challenge.gov by the required date.
Additional information on how to complete a contestant entry is available at: https://www.challenge.gov/how-it-works/
Contestants may only complete a concept paper for either the Firefighter or the Law Enforcement group within the Concept Paper contest.

Evaluation Criteria:

Concept Papers are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Criterion 1: Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome (50%)
This criterion involves consideration of the following factors: · Strategic Alignment – The extent to which the proposed approach meets the objectives listed in the goals of the challenge; the responsiveness to the firefighter and law enforcement scenarios; the likelihood that successful implementation of the proposed solution will have a significant real-world impact. · Technical Outcome – Extent to which the proposed approach will result in significant improvement in commercially available technology and will potentially result in a technical outcome which enables considerable progress toward the challenge goals.
Criterion 2: Feasibility & Team (50%)
This criterion involves consideration of the following factors: · Team – The extent to which the capability of the contestant(s) can address all aspects of the proposed project with a high chance of success, including, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant expertise, and time commitment of the contestants. Reviewers will evaluate: (a) The relevance of the qualifications and experience of the key staff, leadership, and technical experts. (b) The extent of the applicants’ prior experience and the quality of the results achieved in leading programs similar in nature to the purpose, scope, etc. · Plan – Contestant(s) plan to manage the limited schedule, resources, project risks and other challenges, and produce high quality project outcomes, in pursuit of the challenge goals.

Concept Papers will be evaluated based on the criteria above. Each Concept Paper will be reviewed by at least two reviewers and be assigned a score for each criterion, 0-10 for each criterion. The scores have the following meaning:

Scoring for Concept Papers

10	Contestant has strong potential to aid in the achievement of the goals of the challenge
1-9	Varying degrees of certainty the contestant may have the potential to aid in the achievement of the goals of the challenge
0	Contestant does not have the potential to aid in the achievement of the goals of the challenge

Weighting of Criteria for Concept Papers

Criterion 1: Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome	50%
Criterion 2: Feasibility & Team	50%

Judges

The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant. The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.

VERIFICATION OF WINNERS:

ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize. In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if: (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.

SUBMISSION AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:

Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.
No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.
Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.
It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.
Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not: (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.
A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.
Each Submission must be in English.
Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.
If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.

Concept Paper Content Requirements

The Concept Paper must conform to the following content requirements:

SECTION (Start each section on a new page)	PAGE LIMIT	DESCRIPTION
Cover Page and Abstract (required)	1 page maximum	Contestant (Individual, Team, Organization, Company) name and Application title. Technical and business points of contact and best way to contact them. Describe succinctly (500-word MAXIMUM): · The unique aspects of the contestants’ approach and the potential impact that the proposed approach could have in achieving the goals of the challenge. · Note: Do not include proprietary or sensitive information in this summary.
Project Description (required)	4 pages maximum	Addressing the scoring criteria should be your primary objective, therefore, create your concept paper to address the criteria. Below are a few options to consider: · The contestant’s knowledge, skills, and capabilities as they relate to the goals of the challenge. · The current state-of-the-art in the relevant field and application, including key shortcomings, limitations, costs, and challenges and how the proposed project will overcome the shortcomings, limitations, and challenges in the relevant to the goals of the challenge. · The competitive advantage offered by the contestant’s approach or solution. · High-level vision for performance metrics. Describe what will be produced, when it will be produced, and how it will be verified. Start by defining the baseline capability and end project performance metric in quantifiable/verifiable terms. Then fill in interim performance metrics. (This will be closely reviewed so consider this carefully and use numbers).
Resume Information for Key Team Members (required)	3-5 pages	The key team members and why they are well suited to accomplish the project, with supporting resume information to support their qualifications.
Summary Slide (required)	1 page	Applicants are required to provide a single slide summarizing the proposed project. The recommended format can be found at challenge.gov link.
Letters of Support (optional)	1 page max. per Letter of Support	You may attach up to 3 letters of support from external entities (1-page maximum per letter). Multi-page Letters of Support are not allowed, any extra pages will not be reviewed.
Concept Sketches and/or Mock Up Video (optional)	1-3 page(s) 1-2 min	A single, 1-3 page, concept sketch may be provided and must be in a .pdf format. A single, 1-2 min, video may be provided and provided with an accessible online link within the application materials.

NIST will not review or consider ineligible Concept Papers. NIST makes an independent assessment of each Concept Paper based on the evaluation criteria. During the review, each subject matter expert reviewer will review entire concept papers to which they are assigned. The review is not done in sections with different reviewers responsible for different assigned sections. Therefore, it is not necessary to repeat information in every part of the concept paper. Do not include sensitive materials in the concept paper, for example personally identifiable information like social security numbers, business sensitive information like tax id numbers, etc.

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States or its territories. Contestants may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. NIST Guest Researchers, as well as direct recipients of NIST funding awards through any Center of Excellence established by NIST, are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive cash awards. Non-NIST Federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this Competition is permissible. Contestants, including individuals and private entities, must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. Contestants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the Federal Government. Multiple individuals and/or legal entities may collaborate as a group to submit a single entry and a single individual from the group must be designated as an official representative for each entry. That designated individual will be responsible for meeting all entry and evaluation requirements.

TEAMS:

Contest submissions can be from an individual or a team(s). If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, NIST will award a single dollar amount to the winning Team(s) and each Team, whether consisting of a single or multiple contestants, is solely responsible for allocating any prize amount among its member contestants as they deem appropriate. NIST will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve any matters between entrant members. It will be up to the winning Team(s) to reallocate the prize money among its member contestants, if they deem it appropriate.

SUBMISSION RIGHTS:

Any applicable intellectual property rights to a submission will remain with the Contestant. By participating in the prize challenge, the Contestant is not granting any rights in any patents, pending patent applications, or copyrights related to the technology described in the Entry. However, by submitting a contest submission, the Contestant is granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology certain limited rights as set forth herein.

The Contestant grants to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology the right to review the submission, to describe the submission in any materials created in connection with this competition, and to screen and evaluate the submission. The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology will also have the right to publicize Contestant’s name and, as applicable, the names of Contestant’s team members and/or organization which participated in the submission following the conclusion of the competition.
As part of its submission, the Contestant must provide written consent granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Contestant’s entry (“demonstration license”). This demonstration license includes posting or linking to the Contestant’s entry on the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology websites, including the competition website and inclusion of the Contestant’s submission in any other media, worldwide.

WARRANTIES

Each contestant represents and warrants that the contestant is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the contestant and that the contestant has acquired sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules, that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the contestant is aware; and that the submission is free of malware. By submitting an Entry, the Contestant represents and warrants that all information submitted is true and complete to the best of the Contestant’s knowledge, that the Contestant has the right and authority to submit the Entry on the Contestant’s own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that the Contestant specifies within the Entry, and that the Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/idea/treatment protocol/solution described in the Entry):

Is the Contestant’s own original work, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within the Entry;
does not contain trade secrets (the Contestant’s or anyone else’s);
does not knowingly violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;
does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;
does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation, including, without limitation, United States export laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Department of Commerce Export Regulations; and
does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.

OFFICIAL RULES OF WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE CONTEST (stage 2)

Introduction:

The Working Concept and HUD Prototype contest will be open to up to 30 invited contestants. Contestants will bring their concept to life by creating the software code for compliance testing, based on a Vive Unreal VR environment, and evaluation of general usability and functionality. Contestants can create their working concept HUD prototype in any compliant environment. Based on the compliance testing and functional evaluation, up to 16 contestants will be invited to participate in the next contest, HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1.

Important Dates:

https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/

How to Enter:

Complete the research and coding required for your prototype HUD design.
Ensure that code is compliant with the best practices for VR environments.
Provide your entry to PSCR for compliance testing and functional evaluation.
Contestants invited to submit their work for this contest will be required to register for a NIST secure file transfer account. Information on this account and how it works can be accessed here: https://nfiles.nist.gov.
The contestants with compliant designs, and the greatest functionality will advance to the next contest in the challenge.

Evaluation Criteria and Judging:

PSCR will initially review submissions for compliance with the objectives and Official Rules of this contest. A submission that fails to meet the compliance criteria will be disqualified and will be ineligible to compete in this contest. Submissions that pass the initial compliance review will be evaluated and scored by a panel of judges. An evaluation of a submission by a panel of judges does not constitute the NIST's final determination of contestant or submission eligibility. Submissions will be judged according to the three scoring criteria below:

Scoring Criteria #1: Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)

The compliance testing includes a series of checks to ensure that users will not experience simulator sickness while completing the required reviews and judging. There are a series of checks including VR movement speed, environment colors and textures, and other criteria listed in the best practices for VR environments.
Each contestant entry will be reviewed against this check list for VR environments on the Unreal Engine. Contestant’s should use this checklist as well to ensure they are compliant and their entry is ready for review and judging.

- https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Platforms/VR/ContentSetup/index.html

Scoring Criteria #2: HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 50/100)

Integration of key data into the HUD that supports key elements of the public safety mission. Reviewers will evaluate each contestant’s demonstrated knowledge of public safety requirements, missions, operations, and tasks.
The quality, content, and quantity of data elements integrated into the HUD, the use of this data to enable users to make decisions, and how this data interfaces with navigational and non-navigational functions.
Required HUD functions vary by scenario, contestants must have the minimum functions, and can include additional functions if applicable to the scenario and align with the goals and objectives of the challenge, for example:
- Law Enforcement Hostage: operational parameters for law enforcement include hostage location, partner location, threat location, and time-based hazards.
- Fire Fighter Earthquake: operational parameters for fire include oxygen levels in the fire fighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), temperatures within the VR environment, victim location, and hazard locations.
- For both scenarios, the HUD must include a functional settings menu to enable the users to toggle through choices which customize the HUD. For example, color, font size, icon size, etc.

Scoring Criteria #3: HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 50/100)

The integration of data elements within the HUD for use in navigational functions.
Effectiveness of the data analysis, ability to calculate navigational routes, assess risks, and manage those risks to increase the safety of the First Responder utilizing the technology.
The quality of the UI/UX utilize for navigation tasks within the HUD.
Ability to toggle through different navigation settings, for example waypoint, breadcrumb, map, floor plan, etc.
Ability to toggle through different objectives, for example find partner, find exit, etc. depending on scenario and calculate multiple routes that update on the fly in response to a changing environment. The routes may include the lowest risk, fastest, highest risk, etc. and the updating function will enable nearly real-time navigation of the environment.

Judges

The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant. The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.

Verification of Winners

ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize. In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if: (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.

Submission and Eligibility Requirements

Submission Requirements

In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:

Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.
No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.
Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.
It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.
Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not: (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.
A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.
Each Submission must be in English.
Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.
If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States or its territories. Contestants may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. NIST Guest Researchers, as well as direct recipients of NIST funding awards through any Center of Excellence established by NIST, are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive cash awards. Non-NIST Federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this Competition is permissible. Contestants, including individuals and private entities, must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. Contestants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the Federal Government. Multiple individuals and/or legal entities may collaborate as a group to submit a single entry and a single individual from the group must be designated as an official representative for each entry. That designated individual will be responsible for meeting all entry and evaluation requirements.

TEAMS:

Contest submissions can be from an individual or a team(s). If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, NIST will award a single dollar amount to the winning Team(s) and each Team, whether consisting of a single or multiple contestants, is solely responsible for allocating any prize amount among its member contestants as they deem appropriate. NIST will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve any matters between entrant members. It will be up to the winning Team(s) to reallocate the prize money among its member contestants, if they deem it appropriate.

SUBMISSION RIGHTS:

Any applicable intellectual property rights to a submission will remain with the Contestant. By participating in the prize challenge, the Contestant is not granting any rights in any patents, pending patent applications, or copyrights related to the technology described in the Entry. However, by submitting a contest submission, the Contestant is granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology certain limited rights as set forth herein.

The Contestant grants to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology the right to review the submission, to describe the submission in any materials created in connection with this competition, and to screen and evaluate the submission. The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology will also have the right to publicize Contestant’s name and, as applicable, the names of Contestant’s team members and/or organization which participated in the submission following the conclusion of the competition.
As part of its submission, the Contestant must provide written consent granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Contestant’s entry (“demonstration license”). This demonstration license includes posting or linking to the Contestant’s entry on the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology websites, including the competition website and inclusion of the Contestant’s submission in any other media, worldwide.

WARRANTIES

Each contestant represents and warrants that the contestant is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the contestant and that the contestant has acquired sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules, that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the contestant is aware; and that the submission is free of malware. By submitting an Entry, the Contestant represents and warrants that all information submitted is true and complete to the best of the Contestant’s knowledge, that the Contestant has the right and authority to submit the Entry on the Contestant’s own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that the Contestant specifies within the Entry, and that the Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/idea/treatment protocol/solution described in the Entry):

Is the Contestant’s own original work, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within the Entry;
does not contain trade secrets (the Contestant’s or anyone else’s);
does not knowingly violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;
does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;
does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation, including, without limitation, United States export laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Department of Commerce Export Regulations; and
does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.

OFFICIAL RULES OF HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1 (stage 3)

Introduction:

PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants with a fully functional VR environment, scenario details (i.e., Law Enforcement Hostage and Fire Fighter Earthquake) and operational parameters for fire (i.e., Oxygen levels, temperatures, victim location, hazard locations) and law enforcement scenarios (i.e., hostage location, partner location, threat location, time-based hazard) to contestants for interactive testing and evaluation of their initial HUD prototype. Each contestant’s HUD prototype must meet UI/UX and functional navigation elements, for example, oxygen/time-based hazard and temperature for fire. The contestants are encouraged to collaborate with mentors and advisors and complete a series of interactive tests and evaluations to improve their prototype. Up to 10 contestants will be invited to the HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2 contest. Contestants invited will receive travel funding to attend the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting, up to $4,000 per contestant or team, and compete in the final contest of the challenge.

Important Dates:

https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/

How to Enter:

Invited contestants will receive detailed instructions on how to access the PSCR environment, the allowable uses of that environment, and details regarding each scenario (firefighter and law enforcement).
Each contestant will independently integrate their HUD prototype into the PSCR provided environment and complete a series of compliance and functional evaluations to access the effectiveness of their HUD design.
To document these independent compliance tests and functional evaluations, each contestant will complete a series of short recording of their tests, and complete a demonstration of their work with PSCR reviewers and the contest judges.

Evaluation Criteria and Judging:

PSCR will initially review submissions for compliance with the objectives and Official Rules of this contest. A submission that fails to meet the compliance criteria will be disqualified and will be ineligible to compete in this contest. Submissions that pass the initial compliance review will be evaluated and scored by a panel of judges. An evaluation of a submission by a panel of judges does not constitute the NIST's final determination of contestant or submission eligibility. Submissions will be judged according to the four scoring criteria below:

Scoring Criteria #1: Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)

The compliance testing includes a series of checks to ensure that users will not experience simulator sickness while completing the required reviews and judging. There are a series of checks including VR movement speed, environment colors and textures, and other criteria listed in the best practices for VR environments.
Each contestant entry will be reviewed against this check list for VR environments on the Unreal Engine. Contestant’s should use this checklist as well to ensure they are compliant and their entry is ready for review and judging.
- https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Platforms/VR/ContentSetup/index.html

Scoring Criteria #2: HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 25/100)

Integration of key data into the HUD that supports key elements of the public safety mission: reviewers will evaluate: each contestant’s demonstrated knowledge of public safety requirements, missions, operations, and tasks.
The quality, content, and quantity of data elements integrated into the HUD, the use of this data to enable users to make decisions, and how this data interfaces with navigational and non-navigational functions.
PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants a fully functional VR environment, scenario information including, for example:
- Law Enforcement Hostage: operational parameters for law enforcement include hostage location, partner location, threat location, and time-based hazards.
- Fire Fighter Earthquake: operational parameters for fire include oxygen levels in the fire fighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), temperatures within the VR environment, victim location, and hazard locations.
- For both scenarios, the HUD must include a functional settings menu to enable the users to toggle through choices which customize the HUD. For example, color, font size, icon size, etc.

Scoring Criteria #3: HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 25/100)

The integration of data elements within the HUD for use in navigational functions.
Effectiveness of the data analysis, ability to calculate navigational routes, assess risks, and manage those risks to increase the safety of the First Responder utilizing the technology.
The quality of the UI/UX utilize for navigation tasks within the HUD.
Ability to toggle through different navigation settings, for example waypoint, breadcrumb, map, floor plan, etc.
Ability to toggle through different objectives, for example find partner, find exit, etc. depending on scenario and calculate multiple routes that update on the fly in response to a changing environment. The routes may include the lowest risk, fastest, highest risk, etc. and the updating function will enable nearly real-time navigation of the environment.

Scoring Criteria #4: Responsive to Scenario (Max 50/100)

Each contestant will be assigned a series of tasks as part of the scenario to complete within the PSCR VR environment. These tasks are assigned to test the capabilities of the HUD and its navigation calculations. Scoring will include three components:
- Completion of objectives (for example navigate to partner, navigate to victim, navigate to exit)
- Navigation of risks (for example did the route assigned minimize risks, did it balance risk with time, etc.)
- Total time; how long did it take to complete the scenario

Judges

The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant. The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.

Verification of Winners

ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize. In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if: (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.

Submission and Eligibility Requirements

Submission Requirements

In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:

Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.
No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.
Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.
It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.
Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not: (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.
A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.
Each Submission must be in English.
Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.
If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States or its territories. Contestants may not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. NIST Guest Researchers, as well as direct recipients of NIST funding awards through any Center of Excellence established by NIST, are eligible to enter, but are not eligible to receive cash awards. Non-NIST Federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this Competition is permissible. Contestants, including individuals and private entities, must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability. Contestants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the Federal Government. Multiple individuals and/or legal entities may collaborate as a group to submit a single entry and a single individual from the group must be designated as an official representative for each entry. That designated individual will be responsible for meeting all entry and evaluation requirements.

TEAMS:

Contest submissions can be from an individual or a team(s). If a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization is selected as a prize winner, NIST will award a single dollar amount to the winning Team(s) and each Team, whether consisting of a single or multiple contestants, is solely responsible for allocating any prize amount among its member contestants as they deem appropriate. NIST will not arbitrate, intervene, advise on, or resolve any matters between entrant members. It will be up to the winning Team(s) to reallocate the prize money among its member contestants, if they deem it appropriate.

SUBMISSION RIGHTS:

Any applicable intellectual property rights to a submission will remain with the Contestant. By participating in the prize challenge, the Contestant is not granting any rights in any patents, pending patent applications, or copyrights related to the technology described in the Entry. However, by submitting a contest submission, the Contestant is granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology certain limited rights as set forth herein.

The Contestant grants to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology the right to review the submission, to describe the submission in any materials created in connection with this competition, and to screen and evaluate the submission. The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology will also have the right to publicize Contestant’s name and, as applicable, the names of Contestant’s team members and/or organization which participated in the submission following the conclusion of the competition.
As part of its submission, the Contestant must provide written consent granting the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Contestant’s entry (“demonstration license”). This demonstration license includes posting or linking to the Contestant’s entry on the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology websites, including the competition website and inclusion of the Contestant’s submission in any other media, worldwide.

WARRANTIES

Each contestant represents and warrants that the contestant is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the contestant and that the contestant has acquired sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules, that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the contestant is aware; and that the submission is free of malware. By submitting an Entry, the Contestant represents and warrants that all information submitted is true and complete to the best of the Contestant’s knowledge, that the Contestant has the right and authority to submit the Entry on the Contestant’s own behalf or on behalf of the persons and entities that the Contestant specifies within the Entry, and that the Entry (both the information and materials submitted in the Entry and the underlying technology/method/idea/treatment protocol/solution described in the Entry):

Is the Contestant’s own original work, or is submitted by permission with full and proper credit given within the Entry;
does not contain trade secrets (the Contestant’s or anyone else’s);
does not knowingly violate or infringe upon the patent rights, industrial design rights, copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity;
does not contain malicious code, such as viruses, malware, timebombs, cancelbots, worms, Trojan horses or other potentially harmful programs or other material or information;
does not and will not violate any applicable law, statute, ordinance, rule or regulation, including, without limitation, United States export laws and regulations, including but not limited to, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Department of Commerce Export Regulations; and
does not trigger any reporting or royalty or other obligation to any third party.

OFFICIAL RULES OF HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2 (stage 4)

Introduction:

Contestants will complete a series of live demonstrations using their HUD prototype in NIST PSCR’s virtual reality environment at the June 2018 PSCR Stakeholders Meeting. Each contestant will have the opportunity to attend the meeting, interact with over 500 meeting contestants who represent all segments of the Public Safety community, and compete for up to seven (7) cash prizes. HUD prototypes will be tested and evaluated by the NIST PSCR Judge panel for final awards (1st Place $25,000; 2nd $20,000; 3rd $15,000; 4th $10,000; 5th $7,500; 6th $5,000; 7th $2,500).

Important Dates:

https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/virtual-reality-heads-up-display-navigation-challenge/

How to Enter:

Invited contestants will receive an email with information on how to access the PSCR environment, and details regarding each scenario.
Each contestant will independently integrate their HUD prototype in the PSCR environment and complete a series of compliance and functional evaluations to access the effectiveness of their design.
To document these independent compliance tests and functional evaluations, each contestant will complete a series of short recording of their tests, and complete live demonstration of their work with PSCR reviewers and the contest judges.

Evaluation Criteria and Judging:

PSCR will initially screen submissions for compliance with the objectives and Official Rules of this contest. A submission that fails to meet the compliance criteria will be disqualified and will be ineligible to compete in this contest. Submissions that pass the initial compliance review will be evaluated and scored by a panel of judges. An evaluation of a submission by a panel of judges does not constitute the NIST's final determination of contestant or submission eligibility. Submissions will be judged according to the five scoring criteria below:

Scoring Criteria #1: Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)

The compliance testing includes a series of checks to ensure that users will not experience simulator sickness while completing the required reviews and judging. There are a series of checks including VR movement speed, environment colors and textures, and other criteria listed in the best practices for VR environments.
Each contestant entry will be reviewed against this check list for VR environments on the Unreal Engine. Contestant’s should use this checklist as well to ensure they are compliant and their entry is ready for review and judging.
- https://docs.unrealengine.com/latest/INT/Platforms/VR/ContentSetup/index.html

Scoring Criteria #2: HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 20/100)

Integration of key data into the HUD that supports key elements of the public safety mission: reviewers will evaluate: each contestant’s demonstrated knowledge of public safety requirements, missions, operations, and tasks.
The quality, content, and quantity of data elements integrated into the HUD, the use of this data to enable users to make decisions, and how this data interfaces with navigational and non-navigational functions.
PSCR will provide up to 16 contestants a fully functional VR environment, scenario information including, for example:
- Law Enforcement Hostage: operational parameters for law enforcement include hostage location, partner location, threat location, and time-based hazards.
- Fire Fighter Earthquake: operational parameters for fire include oxygen levels in the fire fighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), temperatures within the VR environment, victim location, and hazard locations.
- For both scenarios, the HUD must include a functional settings menu to enable the users to toggle through choices which customize the HUD. For example, color, font size, icon size, etc.

Scoring Criteria #3: HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 20/100)

The integration of data elements within the HUD for use in navigational functions.
Effectiveness of the data analysis, ability to calculate navigational routes, assess risks, and manage those risks to increase the safety of the First Responder utilizing the technology.
The quality of the UI/UX utilize for navigation tasks within the HUD.
Ability to toggle through different navigation settings, for example waypoint, breadcrumb, map, floor plan, etc.
Ability to toggle through different objectives, for example find partner, find exit, etc. depending on scenario and calculate multiple routes that update on the fly in response to a changing environment. The routes may include the lowest risk, fastest, highest risk, etc. and the updating function will enable nearly real-time navigation of the environment.

Scoring Criteria #4: Responsive to Scenario (Max 50/100)

Each contestant will be assigned a series of tasks as part of the scenario to complete within the PSCR VR environment. These tasks are assigned to test the capabilities of the HUD and its navigation calculations. Scoring will include three components:
- Completion of objectives (for example navigate to partner, navigate to victim, navigate to exit)
- Navigation of risks (for example did the route assigned minimize risks, did it balance risk with time, etc.)
- Total time; how long did it take to complete the scenario

Scoring Criteria #5: Judge Panel Q&A (Max 10/100)

Each contestant will complete a short presentation to the Judge panel, followed by Q&A from the panel.

Judges

The submissions will be judged by a qualified panel of expert(s) selected by the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology at its sole discretion. The panel consists of Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology and non- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology experts and will judge the submissions according to the judging criteria identified above in order to select winners. Judges may not (A) have personal or financial interests in, or be an employee, officer, director, or agent of any entity that is a registered contestant in a contest; or (B) have a familial or financial relationship with an individual who is a registered contestant. The decisions of the judges for the contest will be announced in accordance with the dates noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.

Verification of Winners

ALL CONTEST WINNERS WILL BE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION BY The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology Winners must comply with all terms and conditions of the Official Rules. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements contained herein. The Winners will be notified by email, telephone, or mail after the date of winning results. Each Winner of monetary or non-monetary award, will be required to sign and return to the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, within ten (10) days of the date the notice is sent, an ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Enrollment Form (OMB NO. 1510-0056) and a Contestant Eligibility Verification in order to claim the prize. In the sole discretion of the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, a potential winner will be deemed ineligible to win if: (i) the person/entity cannot be contacted; (ii) the person/entity fails to sign and return the affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period; (iii) the prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or (iv) the submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason. In the event of a disqualification of a winner, the Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in their sole discretion may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner when applicable.

Submission and Eligibility Requirements

Submission Requirements

In order for submissions to be eligible for review, recognition and award, contestants’ must meet the following requirements:

Deadline - The submission must be available for evaluation by the end date noted in the "Important Dates" section of these rules.
No NIST logo - submission(s) must not use NIST's logo or official seal and must not claim NIST endorsement.
Each submission must be original, the work of the contestant, and must not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any person or entity.
It is an express condition of submission and eligibility that each contestant warrants and represents that the contestant's submission is solely owned by the contestant, that the submission is wholly original with the contestant, and that no other party has any ownership rights or ownership interest in the submission.
Each contestant further represents and warrants to NIST that the submission, and any use thereof by NIST shall not: (i) be defamatory or libelous in any manner toward any person, (ii) constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of any person's publicity rights or right of privacy, or (iii) infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.
A Contestant may contract with a third party for technical assistance to create the Submission, provided the Submission is solely the Contestant's work product and the result of the Contestant's ideas and creativity and the Contestant owns all rights to it.
Each Submission must be in English.
Submissions will not be accepted if they contain any matter that, in the sole discretion of NIST, is indecent, obscene, defamatory, libelous, in bad taste, or demonstrates a lack of respect for public morals or conduct.
If NIST, in its discretion, finds any submission to be unacceptable, then such submission shall be deemed disqualified.

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

To be eligible for the cash prizes, each contestant or team of contestants must include an individual age 18 or older at the time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories. In the case of a private entity, the business shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United

Judging Criteria

Stage 1 Criterion 1: Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome - 50%

Congratulations to the 16 winners: Team Easily Immersive - Q Team - Team DeepScience - Team NextGen Interactions - Team Symstemics - Team Screen Door Labs - Team FIST - Team Navteca - Team REI - Team ENGRdynamics - Team MiniSim - Team FactualVR - Team LookOnVRTU - Team IVFR - Team EnhanceVR - Team Intelligent Masks

Stage 1 Criterion 2: Feasibility & Team - 50%

This criterion involves consideration of the following factors:

Team – The extent to which the capability of the contestant(s) can address all aspects of the proposed project with a high chance of success, including, but not limited to, qualifications, relevant expertise, and time commitment of the contestants. Reviewers will evaluate: (a) The relevance of the qualifications and experience of the key staff, leadership, and technical experts. (b) The extent of the applicants’ prior experience and the quality of the results achieved in leading programs similar in nature to the purpose, scope, etc.

Plan – Contestant(s) plan to manage the limited schedule, resources, project risks and other challenges, and produce high quality project outcomes, in pursuit of the challenge goals.

* SEE Official Rules for judging criteria associated with all other Stages of the contest

How To Enter

Visit Challenge.gov, review the series of contests in The First Responder VR HUD Navigation Challenge.
Complete the submission requirements for the Concept Paper Contest, submit the required concept paper and summary slide, and, as an option, include sketches or mock-up video with your entry as a registered contestant via Challenge.gov by the required date.
Additional information on how to complete a contestant entry is available at: https://www.challenge.gov/how-it-works/
Contestants may only complete a concept paper for either the Firefighter or the Law Enforcement group within the Concept Paper contest.
One entry per qualified contestant.

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Description

PROGRAM EMAIL

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES

SUMMARY OF CONTESTS

STAGE 1: Concept Paper Contest

STAGE 2: Working Concept and HUD Prototype

STAGE 3: HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1

STAGE 4: HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 2

Prizes

Rules

OFFICIAL RULES OF CONCEPT PAPER CONTEST (stage 1)

Introduction:

Important Dates:

How To Enter:

Evaluation Criteria:

Criterion 1: Strategic Alignment & Technical Outcome (50%)

Criterion 2: Feasibility & Team (50%)

Scoring for Concept Papers

Weighting of Criteria for Concept Papers

Judges

VERIFICATION OF WINNERS:

SUBMISSION AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Concept Paper Content Requirements

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

TEAMS:

SUBMISSION RIGHTS:

WARRANTIES

OFFICIAL RULES OF WORKING CONCEPT AND HUD PROTOTYPE CONTEST (stage 2)

Introduction:

Important Dates:

How to Enter:

Evaluation Criteria and Judging:

Scoring Criteria #1: Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)

Scoring Criteria #2: HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 50/100)

Scoring Criteria #3: HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 50/100)

Judges

Verification of Winners

Submission and Eligibility Requirements

Submission Requirements

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

TEAMS:

SUBMISSION RIGHTS:

WARRANTIES

OFFICIAL RULES OF HUD Prototype Test & Evaluation Round 1 (stage 3)

Introduction:

Important Dates:

How to Enter:

Evaluation Criteria and Judging:

Scoring Criteria #1: Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)

Scoring Criteria #2: HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 25/100)

Scoring Criteria #3: HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 25/100)

Scoring Criteria #4: Responsive to Scenario (Max 50/100)

Judges

Verification of Winners

Submission and Eligibility Requirements

Submission Requirements

CONTESTANT ELIGIBILITY:

TEAMS:

SUBMISSION RIGHTS:

WARRANTIES

OFFICIAL RULES OF HUD PROTOTYPE TEST & EVALUATION ROUND 2 (stage 4)

Introduction:

Important Dates:

How to Enter:

Evaluation Criteria and Judging:

Scoring Criteria #1: Compliance Testings (pass/Fail)

Scoring Criteria #2: HUD FUnctionality Indicators (Max 20/100)

Scoring Criteria #3: HUD Navigation FUnction (Max 20/100)

Scoring Criteria #4: Responsive to Scenario (Max 50/100)

Scoring Criteria #5: Judge Panel Q&A (Max 10/100)

Judges

Verification of Winners

Submission and Eligibility Requirements