NASA recently announced the winners of its Wildfire Climate Tech Challenge, rewarding three teams with $100,000 each. These teams stood out for their innovative solutions aimed at combating the growing threat of wildfires and climate change.
The challenge was a collaboration between NASA and Minority Serving Institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and more. This initiative aimed to leverage NASA’s Earth science resources and technology to support fire management agencies through integrated solutions.
A panel of experts evaluated the entries and selected three winners and three runners-up. Each team showcased exceptional creativity, technical prowess, and the potential for significant real-world impact.
Team Howard U emerged as one of the winners. Comprising Lauren Taylor, Amy Quarkume, and Joseph Wilkins from Howard University, their project, Fire Smart Health Guardian + Taylor, aims to bridge the gap in wildfire risk communication and air quality monitoring. By integrating NASA data and employing Generative AI in Natural Language Processing technology, they hope to empower communities with accurate information, enabling them to make informed decisions to mitigate risks and protect their health.
Team HorizonForce, with members Jay Desai from the University of North Carolina Pembroke and Elikem Des-Amekudi from North Carolina A&T State University, also clinched a winning spot. Their project proposes a next-generation solution for wildfire detection, monitoring, and elimination. It involves a network of low-cost Internet of Things sensors, NASA MODIS and VIIRS satellite imagery, and high-payload Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to detect, accurately localize, monitor, and autonomously extinguish emerging wildfires before they escalate.
The third winning team, Team FLARE, includes Andrew Saah and Owen Sordillo from the University of San Francisco. Their project, Fuel Load Analysis and Risk Estimation (FLARE), leverages Terrestrial Laser Scanning methods and conventional Earth observation technologies. This innovative approach aims to revolutionize wildfire risk assessments at sub-meter resolution.
The runners-up also presented remarkable projects. Team FIRESENCE from the University of Illinois, Chicago, proposed a Computer Vision-Based Situational Awareness software suite. Team Sireen from Florida International University introduced Smart Forests, an Internet of Things solution for enhanced forest monitoring. Lastly, Team Project FireWatch from San Jose State University developed wildfire drones and fire trajectory software to improve wildfire management technologies.
Michael Seablom, associate director in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters, praised the winners for their dedication and ingenuity. He highlighted the unique perspectives and diverse talent pool of the participants as invaluable to the challenge.
The winning teams will now participate in the NASA MSI Incubator program’s second round, aiming to create commercial opportunities around their ideas. This program includes hybrid workshops and an in-person finale, offering insights into startup formation, product-market fit, raising capital, and more.
The runners-up will join the NASA Innovation (I-Corps) Pilot: Wildfire Technology Management Cohort. This program, taught by Cornell University, focuses on exploring the product-market fit of their technologies and includes participation in the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps Program.
Ian Mccubbin, Startup and Venture Capital Engagement manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, expressed confidence in the winning solutions’ potential to significantly impact wildfire management and resilience efforts.
The NASA Tournament Lab managed the challenge, part of the agency’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate. This initiative seeks to engage the global community in solving science and technology challenges, ultimately benefiting humanity.
For more information on NASA’s prizes and challenges, visit www.nasa.gov/get-involved.