Winners Announced in Public Safety Haptics Challenge

By First Responder Network Authority

This week, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division announced the winners of its Haptic Interfaces for Public Safety Challenge.

Underway since March 2019, the challenge investigated how haptic interfaces can assist first responder operations. Haptic interfaces are a unique type of technology that produces sensory cues in equipment or devices, such as vibrations. For firefighters, who typically work in low-visibility environments, this type of technology presents enormous opportunities. PSCR collaborated with the First Responder Network Authority; FirstNet, Built with AT&T; MSA Safety; and the West Metro Fire Protection District (CO) on this challenge in order to explore potential haptic solutions in both virtual reality and real-world scenarios.