“Seeing into the Unknown – Situational Awareness in Dense Urban Environments” focuses on developing novel solutions for sensing, mapping, and understanding interior spaces, both above and below ground, as populations continue to grow in urban areas.

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), a Department of Defense program, today announced finalist teams and the judges’ panel for the final round of its online hackathon challenge on October 31. “Seeing into the Unknown – Situational Awareness in Dense Urban Environments” focuses on developing novel solutions for sensing, mapping, and understanding interior spaces, both above and below ground, as populations continue to grow in urban areas.

Participants are tasked with developing innovative solutions concepts to support first responders and military operators so they may immediately understand any activities occurring inside buildings and subterranean spaces in urban areas

Eight teams were selected from more than 300 hackathon participants, representing a mix of academic, defense and early stage ventures for the finalist round of pitches. The finalist teams are:

Each team will present a novel concept solution focusing on one or more challenge areas, designed to address and articulate significant emergency needs of responders in urban areas, including:

  • Sense Physical Characteristics – understanding the geometry and content of interior spaces
  • Sense Activity – Detecting and characterizing occupants and assessing activity
  • Deliver Data – Timely transmission of data in usable formats
  • Display Information – Presenting actionable information to responders, operators, and decision-makers

The panel judges are:

  • Dr. William Cohen serves as the Chief Technology Officer and senior technology advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)).
  • Major General Robert Karmazin serves as the senior USSOCOM representative to the Office of Secretary of Defense, Close Combat Lethality Task Force.
  • Mr. Robert M. Hesse has worked for the U.S. Army since 2003 and currently serves as the Technical Lead for the U.S. Army Futures Command, Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (CCDC) Subterranean and Dense Urban Environment Community of Practice at the Armaments Center.
  • Mr. Leonard William Braverman, Ph.D., serves as Senior Mentor at the U.S. Army Science Board and as an independent advisor focusing on operating efficiencies and converting obsolete strategies.
  • Mr. James Hendon is Commissioner of the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services, an agency charged with fostering purpose-driven lives for U.S. Military Service Members, past and present, in addition to their caregivers, survivors, and families.
  • Mr. Nick Beim is Partner at the venture capital firm Venrock, where he focuses primarily on artificial intelligence, software, fintech, and defense investments.
  • Mr. Thomas Hendrix leads the Venture Strategy, Business Operations, and Finance for Decisive Point, a venture investment and advisory firm focused on government and defense technologies.
  • Ms. Hannah Cao is on the leadership team for the Digital Incubator for Raytheon Technologies.

Strategic partners for NSIN’s hackathon challenge are the 75th Ranger Regiment, Combat Capabilities Development Command - Armaments Center, Army Mad Scientist Initiative and the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.

Interested individuals are welcome to attend the virtual pitch round on Saturday. Registration for this final round is required and is available online here.

About NSIN

The NSIN mission is to “build networks of innovators that generate new solutions to national security problems.” NSIN is headquartered in Arlington, VA, and has regional offices in 11 commercial innovation hubs throughout the United States. Through its headquarters, regional hubs, and embedded university partnerships, NSIN builds a national network of innovators and delivers programming that solves real-world, DoD problems through collaborative partnerships with non-traditional problem-solvers within the academic and early-stage venture communities.