Ford launches Innovate Mobility Challenge Series

BANGALORE, INDIA: Ford today announced the launch of its Innovate Mobility Challenge Series, inviting the developer and ‘maker' communities to come together to find innovative mobility solutions in eight different locations around the world.

The worldwide challenges will kick off on July 15 in Lisbon, Portugal, Los Angeles, United States, and Mumbai, India, before moving on to Delhi and the Chennai region in India, Shanghai, China, Johannesburg, South Africa, and a countrywide challenge in Argentina.

"Reaching out to local stakeholders lets Ford more effectively address the diverse mobility challenges around the world," said Paul Mascarenas, Ford's chief technical officer and vice president, Research and Innovation.

"Launching our Innovate Mobility Challenge Series in eight different regions will bring global and local players together in the pursuit of one goal, which is a smarter and more efficient transportation network for the future."

For each competition, Ford will partner with local authorities and experts to address different issues in each location. The competitions will be judged by a panel of Ford executives involved in researching mobility solutions, as well as by local experts selected for each competition.

Each challenge was designed to address a specific issue facing the diverse needs of cities around the world.

Mumbai, India: With a months-long monsoon season that can leave transportation infrastructure crippled - including flooded, impassable roads and the suspension of the city's commuter rail system - the Monsoon App Downpour Challenge will focus on leveraging vehicles and information to improve mobility during inclement weather. Mumbai's submission period will run from July 15 to October 14, with the winners announced in November.

Delhi, India: The SUMURR Golden Hour Challenge will invite developers to create software applications leveraging information to decrease the time to get to care and increase information available for care to improve health outcomes within the critical "Golden Hour" after a traumatic incident. The submission period will run from July 30 to October 30.

Chennai region, India: The SUMURR mHealth Challenge will focus on leveraging information to extend health services for remote rural regions accessible from Chennai. The submission period will run from July 30 to October 30.

Ford's OpenXC program is a non-production, open-source, software and hardware platform designed to encourage top developers to experiment with Do-It-Yourself projects using real-time vehicle data. Developers can use OpenXC data like any other data source in a smartphone, tablet or web app.

The Innovate Mobility Challenge Series encourages developers to integrate this real-time vehicle information into apps that relate to sustainability and mobility issues, whether by incorporating the data into existing apps or creating new apps from scratch.

The first three competitions of the Innovate Mobility Challenge Series - Mumbai, Lisbon and Los Angeles - will offer prizes totaling US$30,000 for each challenge, with a grand prize of US$15,000 for the winner of each.  The prizes for the remaining challenges will be announced at a later date.

A wide variety of accessories and software solutions will be eligible, including web or android apps. All accessories and apps that will be used while driving must conform to Ford's In-Vehicle Usage Criteria for safety including non-distracting driving. No specific API, SDK, or data integration is required, however use of Ford's OpenXC platform is encouraged.

Individuals and organizations of up to 50 employees are eligible for the cash prizes, while organizations with over 50 employees may compete for the non-cash Large Organization Recognition Award. The winning app, or accessory depending on challenge type, will be selected by a panel of experts comprised of Ford executives and local judges for each separate city.