• Two-member judging panel to select the semi-finalists from the shortlisted contestants

ABU DHABI – ASPIRE, the technology programme management pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and the organiser of MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge, has announced the judges and jury that will evaluate the whitepapers submitted by teams from all over the world. The competition, which aims to solve the real-world issues of piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing will be held in Abu Dhabi in June 2023.

The panel comprises six eminent scientists representing different fields of robotics, who come from various parts of the world. In the process of shortlisting the whitepapers, the judges will accord 40 per cent weightage to a team’s technical qualifications, while their proposed approach to solving the challenge will carry 60 per cent weight.

“The entire process – from the selection of teams to the execution of the final competition – is being carried out meticulously. When you think about the potential impact, we hope the solutions developed will have on the critical issues of piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing, we want the best out there judging it. The MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge will set a milestone in the advancement of autonomous technology,” said Dr. Arthur Morrish, Chief Executive of ASPIRE.

“Our judges have unquestionable credentials and expertise across various disciplines that are relevant to this challenge. We are confident that their contributions will go a long way in realizing our aims to push the boundaries of autonomous robotics.”

The jury for the preliminary phase comprises:

  • Allan Steinhardt, Chief Scientist at AEye, Inc., USA
  • Cesare Stefanini, Professor & Head of Creative Engineering Design Lab at Faculty of BioRobotics Institute of SSSA, Italy
  • Francesco la Gala, expert in autonomous robotics, based in Italy
  • Robert Hummel, Chief Scientist and Vice President of Research at Potomac Institute, USA
  • Eric Krotkov, Chief Science Officer at Toyota Research Institute, USA.

The judging panel for the final selection is H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC; and Dr. Tony Tether, former Director of DARPA.

Dr Morrish stressed that partnership and collaboration are key to meeting global challenges. “With a jury comprising world-renowned experts to support us, we are looking forward to receiving fresh, exciting ideas to revolutionize the industry and resolve nagging maritime-security issues.”

Hundreds of participants from around the world have registered for the competition since its announcement in October of last year. The high volume of entries, coupled with requests for additional time from some contestants, were taken into consideration for the extension of the deadline for the whitepaper submission until January 31, 2022.

The Maritime Grand Challenge, part of the Mohammed Bin Zayed International Robotics Competition (MBZIRC) series, is open to universities, research institutions, companies and individual innovators. The challenge will involve a heterogeneous collaboration among unmanned aerial and surface vehicles, requiring them to perform complex navigation and manipulation tasks in a GNSS-denied marine environment.

-Ends-

About MBZIRC 

The Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) is an international robotics competition held every two years drawing participation from universities, research institutions, companies, and individual innovators from around the world to develop solutions to some pressing global challenges through the application of autonomous robotics.

MBZIRC is organised by ASPIRE, the dedicated technology programme management pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). By providing an environment to foster innovation and technical excellence in robotics, MBZIRC supports the UAE’s transition to a knowledge economy while consolidating Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s position as an emerging hub of innovation in advanced technology.

For more information, visit www.mbzirc.com 

Connect with us on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mohamed-bin-zayed-international-robotics-challenge
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MBZIRC
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbzirc?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbzirc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbzirc/?hl=en 

Methodology of the MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge

In the white paper phase, each participating team is required to submit a white paper by 31 January 2022, describing the team; the background in swarm robotics; computer vision; simultaneous localisation and mapping; marine vehicle expertise, communications capabilities, and the technical approach to be used in solving the Challenge.

In the simulation phase, the participating teams will be required to complete inspection and intervention tasks in simulation. In August 2022, this phase will see the shortlisting of the five finalist teams.

Teams will also need to submit proof-of-concept videos on the different sub-components of their system and demonstrate the feasibility of the approach used. The proof videos should cover the following components of the Challenge:

  • Multi-UAV search and inspection of large representative structures
  • Intra-swarm communication and collective decision-making
  • Collective transportation of objects between the large structure and the home location

In the demonstration phase that takes place in June 2023, teams will prove their system capabilities. Evaluation will be based on the total time required to complete the inspection and intervention tasks. This phase includes inspection, ID, and manipulation subtasks, with the maximum mission completion time set at 50 minutes.

Eligibility and prizes

The competition will see international teams demonstrate their prowess and skills in building and operating their USVs and UAVs in a GNSS-denied environment. 

Interested teams must complete the registration process by visiting the website https://www.mbzirc.com/. Registration is open until December 30, 2021.

The team winning the first prize will take home US $2,000,000. The team placed second will receive US $500,000, while the team bagging the third prize wins US $250,000. A simulation phase completion prize of US $500,000 will be split among the teams progressing to demonstration phase.

About ASPIRE

ASPIRE drives the creation of future transformative technologies by working in consultation with cross-sector industry stakeholders, universities and research institutes to frame problem statements. It also launches grand challenges and international competitions to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues. ASPIRE brings together exceptional people, ideas, resources, and technologies to solve complex challenges. ASPIRE is the technology programme management pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). ATRC is responsible for defining Abu Dhabi’s research and development strategy, consolidating funds for efficient investment, and driving policy and regulation.

For more information, visit www.aspireuae.ae 

Connect with us on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspire-uae
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aspireuae
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspire.uae/ 

About Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC)

Advanced Technology Research Council shapes research and development for transformative technology outcomes. It is responsible for defining Abu Dhabi’s R&D strategy across academia and industry, consolidating funds for efficient investment, and driving policy and regulation for agile decision-making. By guiding breakthrough technologies, it is establishing Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE as a desired home for advanced technology talent and a global hub for innovation.

For more information, visit www.atrc.ae 

Connect with us on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atrcuae
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEu90gz1Yrlpx85FysKVJNw  

For media enquiries, please contact:
ASPIRE
Advanced Technology Research Council
comms@atrc.ae 

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