MassRobotics and Analog Devices have once again teamed up to offer the Real-Time Sensor Fusion Challenge 2.0. The challenge looks for the next innovative robotics team to bring context awareness to a series of real-life applications through sensors.

Building off the success of last year’s challenge, the Real-Time Sensor Fusion Challenge 2.0 is seeking university and startup robotics teams to demonstrate enhanced real-time context awareness (using two or more sensors) in the following categories:

• Automation (factory or building)
• Mobility (ground or air vehicles)
• Wellness
• Open category (sensor fusion cyber-physical systems)

This challenge brings together MassRobotics’ partners and the community in a unique way that highlights how robots can seamlessly integrate into the systems and environments that shape our lives. From sensor and component developers to suppliers and end users, last year’s collaborators included Analog Devices, ArrowPlus, FedEx, Mitsubishi, SICK and Solidworks.

“The Sensor Fusion Challenge is a unique opportunity for collaboration between startups, university students and industry experts to create innovative robotics solutions for real-world applications,” said Ralph McCormick, system applications engineer, Analog Devices. “We are excited to help innovators utilize our partner technologies and ADI’s broad base of solutions in measurement, sensing, actuation, power and communications in diverse robotics applications.”

After a review of submissions due by October 19, 10 qualified teams will be down-selected and receive a $2.5K budget in addition to donated hardware from participating partners. Milestones and checkpoints will be implemented before a finale showcase in May where the winner will receive $25K.

“As a college student, this challenge was a great experience,” said Dhruv Kool Rajamani, a 2019 Sensor Fusion Challenge participant from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “Integrating the Analog Devices sensors into our system allowed us to prototype the project with far greater ease and speed than we would have ever been able to without it.”

Teams around the world are encouraged to submit their proposals by October 19. This year’s challenge projects will be judged virtually.

“Last year’s challenge was a great reminder of how the community can come together and rally support for various robotics teams,” said Joyce Sidopoulos, co-founder and VP of programs, MassRobotics. “The finale in May showcased many inventive solutions and highlighted the reason why Massachusetts is the hub of robotics innovation. We’re looking forward to seeing what unique solutions teams come up with this year.”

More information about the Real-Time Sensor Fusion Challenge 2.0 challenge can be found here.