Innovation and Collaboration at the First Loudoun County Challenge
The inaugural Loudoun County Challenge was held this week, bringing together the best minds in our area to offer solutions to hard-to-solve public safety problems. The event, hosted by Loudoun Economic Development, Innovative Solutions Consortium, CIT and the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, brought 11 local companies together to present proof-of-concept solutions to a panel of experts.
Chief Michael Johnson of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, Second Lieutenant Charles Manning of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and former DARPA Program Manager Owen Brown were among the panelists selected to judge the presentations. The entrants were tasked with finding solutions to common problems across Loudoun and many other municipalities nationwide, including traffic congestion and first responder communication. Each company presented their unique take on solving these issues, and then collaborated at the end to show how their products could work together to create a cohesive solution.
Highlights of the program included Alta Systems, who proposed the use of unmanned aerial devices to assist with search and rescue, as well as Location Based GPS, a company that works with the elderly and special needs communities to keep those who are “prone to wander” safe and easily located. In addition to hardware, some companies like Servo, offered apps. Servo’s solution addresses the technology gap that police and firefighters often battle against, offering first responders an easy interface for vehicle tracking, traffic and mapping information.
Two awards were given out, to the “Most Disruptive” and “Most Innovative” ideas. Text2Them took home the Most Disruptive honors, and received high praise from Second Lieutenant Manning for their product, which enables citizens to text their government, allowing for safer, more open means of two-way communication. It was noted that this service would be especially valuable when phone lines are tied up and that it adapts to our changing world, in which texts have replaced voice calls as the most popular mode of communication.
TRX Systems was honored with the Most Innovative award, for their system that uses advanced sensors to give 3D location information underground, indoors, in dense areas, and other places where GPS is unreliable. Chief Johnson applauded TRX Systems for their innovation and its possible use to enhance safety for firefighters. In fact, safety was a recurring theme throughout many of the presentations. Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York spoke at the event, praising the companies, saying, “I can’t think of anything more important than to come together and create a safer environment.”
“From the county’s perspective, the event exceeded our expectations. More importantly, representatives from the Sheriff’s office and the Fire, Rescue and Emergency Response office were most impressed with the companies and the technologies they demonstrated. Plans for a second Loudoun Challenge are already underway, with this one focusing on the public school system.”
To view all of the photos from the event, visit our Facebook page.