Solution Submission Materials
Stage I, Ideation
To be eligible to win a prize under this stage, an individual or entity must submit:
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A cover page with the following information:
- Team name, participant names, organization (s), and primary point of contact
- Challenge tracks they are solving for:
- Tools:
- Discover Insights Tool
- Simulation Tool
- Safety Focus Areas:
- Vulnerable System Users
- Conflict Points
- High Risk Factors
- Tool End-User:
- Policymakers
- Providers/Operators
- Public
- Submission title. Proposed name for your concept.
- Submission description. What is the headline for your idea? Briefly describe your idea, concept and approach. (15 words)
- Written Summary of the Solution Idea.
This includes a detailed description of the proposed solution idea. Summary should discuss in detail the functionality and capabilities of the analytical visualization tool. The Solver must describe, in a high level of technical detail, how the proposed solution will meet each of the Solution Requirements and the Judging Criteria for this stage. The Summary must not exceed the character length of the on-line submission form. The Solver should understand that their submittal will be reviewed by technical experts in transportation safety analysis, data, IT and visualization. If the level of detail is deemed insufficient by the experts, the proposed solution will not be regarded as feasible.
All written work shall be phrased in layperson English language.Geospatial, visualization, statistical and technical terminology, including program coding language, shall not be used without providing an explanation of terms.
Solvers should respond to the judging criteria specified in the Judging Criteria Section.
- Information on qualifications of your team.
Please include a resume or bio of key individual(s) who would be responsible for developing the idea into a proof of concept with a detailed system design and prototype.
If you plan to work with a Technical Assistance or Data Innovation Agent, please indicate which Innovation Agent(s) you are or will be working with and their role in tool development.
- Appendices.
- Video of Submission Idea.
Provide a link to a 30 second video of solution idea.
- Additional Assets.
If available, upload or link to additional research abstracts, presentations, data visualizations, or other supporting visual information that may help us better understand your concept. Accepted upload file formats include: .ppt, .pptx, .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpg, .png (50 MB max).
Stage II, Concept
To be eligible to win a prize under this stage, an individual or entity must submit:
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A written summary of the proof of concept with a detailed system design and text that addresses each Stage II judging criterion in detail.
Semi-finalists must provide a written summary of the proof of concept, refining and adding additional detail to their initial ideation (20 page maximum). The summary must describe its plans for data use, technical approach, user implementation, testing and deployment, and tool development in a high level of technical detail and address the Solution Requirements and Judging Criteria for this stage. - Information on the qualifications of the team who would be responsible for developing the idea into a proof of concept and prototype.
Applicants must include a resume or bio of key individual(s) who would be responsible for developing the idea into a proof of concept with a detailed system design and prototype.
If applicants plan to work with an Innovation Agent, this section should indicate which Innovation Agent(s) the applicant will be working with and their role in tool development.
- A prototype with a working interactive model of the analytical visualization tool, that can be easily accessed by DOT judges.
The prototype must provide an idea of the proposed design, navigation and layout of the tool. It must demonstrate the functionality and verify that the analytical visualization or simulation tool idea and concept can be achieved in full development.
The prototype should demonstrate what the tool looks like and how it operates from the target user’s perspective. It should demonstrate, for example:
- How a user would access and input data from different sources;
- What types of analyses could be performed on the data;
- What different types of visualizations/reports/charts/GIS maps could be generated from the analyses, what these outputs would look like, whether they would be dynamic or static, and to what extent they could be customized according to a user’s needs; and
- How a user would navigate from one screen and one functionality to another.
- The prototype should tell the story of how the target audience would use the tool to create actionable insights on safety.
It will be the responsibility of the competitor to furnish the necessary access for DOT judges to view and interact with the prototype. DOT will not install or deploy the prototype on its own equipment or cloud services, so competitors must plan to provision access.
- A video providing a high-level overview of the proof of concept with strong examples of visualizations.
Applicants must prepare a short video (5-minute maximum). The video should provide a high-level overview of the proof of concept with strong examples of visualizations. It should include a discussion of the objectives of the tool, the target audience(s), what safety problem the tool is attempting to solve, how the tool functions, and how it can be used to address the safety problem. The video should also highlight the novelty of the tool, how it differs from existing tools.
- Virtual demonstration of the prototype.
The applicant must be prepared to conduct a virtual demonstration of the prototype for the technical evaluation judging team. The presentation and demonstration should be no more than 10 minutes. An additional 20 minutes will be allotted for questions from the judging team.
Stage III, Tool
To be eligible to win a prize under this stage, an individual or entity must submit:
- A fully functioning software and analytical visualization tool*
Applicants must provide full access to an executable version of their software and analytical visualization tool, with all of the components and functionality promised in their Stage II submissions.
*What to provide with submission:
- Copy of source code
- Copy of executable code
- Access to data
- Clarify what components are proprietary, if any
- Clarify what data is necessary to operate the tool
- A written summary addressing the judging criteria (20-page maximum).
Applicants must provide a written summary which addresses the criteria-related items below and describes any updates or changes since Stage II.
Solvers should respond to the judging criteria specified in the Judging Criteria Section.
- A complete User’s Guide to the tool.
The User’s Guide should provide a detailed step-by-step explanation, in layperson English language, of how to access, set up, operate, maintain, and upgrade the tool. This should include, for example:
- Specifications for hardware and software needed to operate the tool.
- Information on the data needed, e.g., how to collect, validate and input the data; how to integrate data from different sources; how to update data; how to deal with incomplete data, etc.
- Instructions on the types of analyses that can be done and the types of visualization results that can be produced from these analyses.
- Information on the assumptions/constraints/value judgments/algorithms underlying calculations.
- Options, if available, for customizing the software to address specific local needs, data limitations, etc.
- Maintenance and upgrading requirements and procedures.
- Support available for users.
If there are different types of users, separate instructions should be given for each user category.
- A one-page description of the tool for external audiences.
As part of the marketing and outreach plan, applicants should prepare a one-page description of the tool, aimed at potential users. Applicants also have the option to submit updated Stage II videos to reflect any changes in their Stage III submissions, which can then be used as a marketing tool. The video submissions are optional, however, and will not be part of the judging process.
- A virtual session with demonstration of the enhancements made to the tool since Stage II and Q&A on the tool and deployment plan (45-60 minutes).
Applicants should be prepared to conduct a virtual demonstration of the tool, with the emphasis on enhancements and functionality added since their Stage II submissions, and answer questions from DOT subject matter experts on the evaluation team.