Registration is now open for the GigaTECHs App Competition — the City of Austin and U.S. Ignite’s $38,000 challenge for local civic-minded developers interested in building gigabit speed applications.
Submissions are due July 9 [update: submission deadline moved to July 14] and must address one of five targeted issue areas via an app that utilizes gigabit speed internet. Note it doesn’t have to be a mobile app — it can be any software application that leverages high-bandwidth, low-latency gigabit internet technology.
This is by the City of Austin and for Austinites: to be eligible to participate, a majority of your team members must reside in the Austin metropolitan area (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties).
The City is looking for submissions touching on the following:
- Transportation: “projects that utilize traffic data to improve Austin’s transportation system. A high-density network of traffic sensors will allow us to more closely monitor traffic conditions and will reduce our response time to issues. The data will enable planners to better understand traffic patterns and make data-informed design decisions. The traffic data we collect will also help our engineers identify and mitigate safety issues on roadways. Furthermore, we intend to make the sensor software and collected data publicly available so that research institutions, private companies, and the general public can help us derive new insights about Austin’s transportation system.”
- Education: “We’re looking for a solution that leverages the accessibility and power of online virtual or augmented reality technology to help learners communicate, collaborate and create together … We’re looking for teams inspired to take advantage of the unique way that the technology can create new spaces and places for people to learn together, but also, to prepare and train our next generation of VR/AR developers through high-quality learning or training experiences.”
- Clean energy: three potential ideas: 1) an app to help use renewable energy when it’s being produced; 2) an app that will show you your daily PV generation and alert you if the system stops producing or drops for no reason; and 3) an app that can build a virtual “off the grid” system for your home, combining solar, wind, fuel cell and energy storage.
- Health: “The Austin Public Health Department is looking for civic-minded developers to focus their efforts on health information exchanges.”
- Public safety: “The Austin Public Health Department is looking for civic-minded developers to focus their efforts on emergency notification systems.”
There’s a lot more information at the competition page, including specific guidelines, prize money disbursement, and additional resources. Any questions you can’t find an answer to should be directed to Lance McNeill with the City of Austin’s Innovation Office at lance.mcneill@austintexas.gov.