XPRIZE in partnership with All Nippon Airways (ANA), the largest airline in Japan, announced the new $10 million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, with registration open until October 31st. For the next four years, it challenges teams all over the world to develop technologies and innovations for a multi-purpose avatar system leveraging integrated robotic devices. When completed, the system will allow the user to remotely touch, hear, see, and interact with physical environments through the robotic device.
ANA’s CEO and president, Shinya Katanozaka, talked about why ANA supports this competition, saying that, “As the sole provider of global long-distance physical transportation, the airline industry has long served as the catalyst for global relationships, business, diplomacy, and mutual understanding. By launching the ANA Avatar XPRIZE, ANA hopes to break through the remaining barriers that exist to bring about an unprecedented era of physical connection, resource sharing, and collaboration for a brighter future for all.”
The ANA Avatar XPRIZE has two milestone competitions planned for April 2020 and April 2021, in which all teams compete for $1 million each year. In order to win the Ana Avatar XPRIZE, the winning team must demonstrate a robotic avatar allowing an untrained operator to complete diverse tasks physically from at least 100km away. The avatar and its applications could provide critical care faster, while maximizing the impact of knowledge and skill-sharing.
Although the competition could run for four years, any team that believes they have fulfilled all requirements can have the five-day finals held early. All interested teams must submit a competition plan by January 31st, 2019.
The $8M grand prize will be awarded in October 2021.
