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The Central Florida Tech Grove, in partnership with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), NavalX, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD), is executing a prize challenge to identify solutions that provide a thorough and realistic virtual reality training solution for life-threatening situation refresher training.

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Modeling - Simulation - Training for Human Performance Innovation

INNOVATE - COLLABORATE - ACCELERATE

NAWCTSD Acquisition Process Improvement Using AI and Machine Learning 

Demo Day 

1:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT * November 18, 2024

 

Up to 10 semi-finalists will present and demonstrate their solutions at the Central Florida Tech Grove. Based on this second round of evaluation by Naval and DOD SMEs, three finalists will be selected.

The Central Florida Tech Grove, in partnership with Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is executing a prize challenge to identify solutions that accelerate the acquisition process of Modeling, Simulation, and Training technologies by leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-based capabilities within government pre-award processes. The specific objective of this challenge is to identify feasible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions that may help accelerate the technical evaluation of a proposal for a sole source solicitation and result in a consistent quality of evaluations.

Proposed solutions submitted by all participants will be evaluated by subject matter experts (SMEs) from the supporting DOD entities listed above with backgrounds in acquisition, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and engineering. Three finalists will be selected based on the evaluation of qualified submissions solutions and participation in the Prize Challenge Demo Day. The top performing participant will be awarded $50,000 in prize money with $30,000 and $20,000 awards to the second and third-ranked participants. The top three will have the opportunity to present their solution at I/ITSEC. 

 

The Prize Challenge winners will be announced the following day via 

the Tech Grove website and social media.  

Register Now!

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Life

Threatening Situations Extended Reality Trainer 

Information Session

3:00 pm-4:30 pm EDT * October 15, 2024

 

The Central Florida Tech Grove, in partnership with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), NavalX, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD), is executing a prize challenge to identify solutions that provide a thorough and realistic virtual reality training solution for life-threatening situation refresher training.  Naval mechanics are required to meet training criteria for initial qualification and requalification to ensure they can quickly and accurately respond to life-threatening situations encountered onboard ships. 

 

Training is currently conducted in a classroom setting almost exclusively through verbal communication and visual examples.  The current training format takes a large amount of time out of production on the waterfront and does not put the student in a realistic training environment. The objective of this challenge is to produce prototypes of a deployable Virtual Reality trainer for faster and more effective qualifying of sailors to meet the Navy training requirements, reduce the amount of time production workers are off the waterfront, and reduce the impact imposed on the training department. 

 

Join us for the information session with PNS subject matter experts to learn more about the need for Developing a VR Training Solution for Rapid, Realistic Naval Mechanics Training.  The Tech Grove team will also be available to answer questions about the Challenge process.  

Prototypes submitted by all participants will be evaluated by subject matter experts (SMEs) from the supporting DOD entities listed above with backgrounds in training and evaluation.  Rating will be done by technical personnel experienced in conducting PNS training and analysis. Three finalists will be selected based on the evaluation of qualified submissions of prototypes and participation in the Prize Challenge Demo Day. The top performing participant will be awarded $75,000 in prize money with $55,000 and $40,000 awards to the second and third-ranked participants.  

 

Register today for the Information Session to learn more!

 

This session will be recorded and the recording will be posted on our YouTube channel.  

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Real Experiences, Real Opportunities, Real Results

Try out a flight simulator? Help develop a serious game? Challenge your cyber defense skills? Have a face-to-face conversation with the Commanding Officer of the local Navy command? Meet your next intern or part-time employee? You can do all of that and more at Tech Grove.

Contact us to learn more about how you can get involved!

The Nation’s Modeling, Simulation, and Training Innovation Center

The United States Department of Defense (DOD) depends on non-traditional training solutions built with cutting-edge technologies created by innovators like you. However, getting your novel solution to market — and to the DOD for military readiness training — is challenging.

 

That’s where Central Florida Tech Grove comes in.

 

INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, AND ACCELERATION

 

At Tech Grove, we facilitate modeling, simulation, and training (MS&T) advances with:

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Innovation

We offer resources to inspire you, connecting you to the people and organizations at the forefront of the defense modeling and simulation industry.

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Collaboration

We help you discover collaboration opportunities with Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine, and Space Force modeling, simulation, and training organizations.

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Acceleration

We assist you with business development assistance and federal funding to get your innovation to market in the hands that need it.

Our Mission for Enhancing DOD Human Performance

Grow the Defense Industry Base

We collaborate with industry, academia, small business, and government from across the nation to expand the defense industry base. We offer an expansive calendar of events, education and support, and referrals to ecosystem support organizations ranging from industry associations to competitive research as well as development programs.

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Facilitate MS&T Technology Transfers

We facilitate technology transfers between small businesses, universities, and government labs. We conduct joint activities, spinning out federally developed technology to support innovation and spinning in solutions from industry and academia to solve complex government human performance challenges.

Solve Complex Military Training Challenges

We facilitate the innovation of enhanced human performance training solutions to apply to the gaps and problems shared by our military customers. Through prize challenges, tech scans, game jams, and other initiatives, industry, government, and academia work together to create and accelerate solutions.

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Unique Ways To Solve Military Human Performance Problems

Tech Grove is where we uncover unique ways to solve some of the modeling, simulation, and training industry’s toughest problems. Our innovators have moved well beyond the use of basic virtual reality for training to deliver technology-based human performance training. Right now we’re focused on these areas:
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LVC-STE Adoption

Expanding the adoption of Live, Virtual, Constructive (LVC) and Military Synthetic Training Environment (STE) tools and solutions.

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Artificial Intelligence

Uncovering and adapting Artificial Intelligence (AI) to unlock human-machine interaction in AI military training.

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XR Technology

Improving human performance using advanced extended reality for training (XRT) technology, 5G networking, and integration.

Interested in Modeling, Simulation, and Training?

Connect, Collaborate With Leaders, and More

Tech Grove offers many resources to help you engage in the defense modeling, simulation, and training industry.

 

We’re located in the heart of Orlando’s MetaCenter — a vast interconnected network of organizations leading technology innovations — where we host the MetaGrove, a digital twin of our operations.

 

Discover how to connect for discussions around everything from LVC training to… well, there are no limits to innovation!

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Join us for our next APEX event!

Come accelerate your business with a strategic business consultation from the Florida SBDC at Central Florida Tech Grove

 

APEX at the Grove October 24th 9AM - 12PM. 

 

 

The FSBDC at UCF’s Government Contracting Services provides businesses with:                                           
• Assistance in competing for government contracts and other small purchases                                                       
• Assistance with Small Disadvantaged Business and Minority Business Enterprise certification applications         
• Assistance with proposals and marketing                                       
• Training on government procurement topics

 

Real Experiences, Real Opportunities, Real Results

Want to try out a flight simulator, help develop a serious game, challenge your cyber defense skills, or experience virtual reality for training?

 

Interested in having a face-to-face conversation with the Commanding Officer of the local Navy command or meeting your next intern or part-time employee?

 

You can do all of that and more at Tech Grove. Contact us to discover how you can get involved!

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Share your Capabilities

Do you have an innovative idea or capability that could be a solution for challenges facing our national defense partners? Getting novel, non-traditional, human performance solutions in front of potential users, customers and collaborators can be a long and arduous process. Until now. Tell us about your innovation so we can tell others.

Learn More

Why Orlando is the Metacenter

Orlando has for decades been the epicenter of innovation in modeling, simulation, and training for our nation’s military. As a result, it is also the home of a vast interconnected network of organizations leading innovations in game development, artificial intelligence, multi-dimensional modeling, optics, sensors, and data science.

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Share your innovations with Team Orlando

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Tech Grove and the National Security Innovation Network have created a Team Orlando platform to allow you to respond to specific problem statements as well as submit information about your products, services, and capabilities.

Join the TOPS community today, check out the problems in our Problem Grove, submit your capabilities, and engage with us!

 

Central Florida Tech Grove Partners

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Don’t Hesitate...Join the Alliance!

We'd love for you to get connected with us and join our Tech Grove Innovation Growers Alliance!  By giving us your contact information, you will receive our newsletter, get announcements about opportunities, events, and more.  Also go to our "Share Your Capabilities" portal and provide us your information so we will know about all the ways you can help us solve problems!

In the heart of Research Park and adjacent to the UCF main campus, our physical facility is just 20 minutes from both Orlando and Sanford International Airports and minutes from hotels and dining. But we are very virtual and you can participate in many of our opportunities no matter where you are!