Release 06-23-2021: Rowan University Team Wins 2021 FAA Challenge - Smart Airport Student Competition

Egg Harbor Township, N.J. – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is excited to announce Rowan University as the winning team of the 2021 FAA Challenge: Smart Airport Student Competition. Three finalist university teams participated in a 2021 Virtual Forum June 22-23, 2021. The teams each presented smart technology design solutions to improve travelers’ transportation experiences from home, in the airport environment, and to their final destination. Rowan University team’s project, ARKE: The Situational Intelligence Platform for Rapid Emergency First Response, earned first place and will receive the $25,000 cash prize.

The FAA invited undergraduate and graduate student teams to participate in the 2021 FAA Challenge in October 2020. The FAA 2021 Challenge Steering Committee selected three finalist teams from 21 proposals submitted to compete for the $25,000 cash prize based on project plan proposals submitted in March 2021. The competition then required finalist teams to submit a technical paper, digital poster, and present a final demonstration to the Steering Committee judges during the 2021 Virtual Forum. Ultimately, ideas from participating student teams may help shape the future of Smart Airport Technology and foster innovation at the William J. Hughes Tech Center.

Finalist teams were: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Applying UAS for Wildlife Hazard Management at Airports; Hampton University, Inspector Drover; and Rowan University, ARKE: The Situational Intelligence Platform for Rapid Emergency First Response. FAA Challenge Steering Committee Chairman, Edward Marciano, said “Three great proposals. All of the Finalists should be proud of their proposed concepts. Hopefully, one or more of the team members are now interested in pursuing a career in aviation with either the Government or Industry.”

The FAA partnered with the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) to manage the FAA Challenge: Smart Airport Student Competition to recognize undergraduate and graduate students who can demonstrate innovative thinking. This year’s competition focused on improving smart technology’s efficiency and effectiveness in and around the airport environment while enhancing the overall traveling experience. The competition stimulates and advances innovation in aviation research; promotes the development of a robust aviation workforce to support a growing and evolving aerospace system; develops a pipeline to fill current and projected shortages via partnerships with academia and industry; and drives a passion for aviation in today’s youth of all ages and backgrounds.

The FAA plans to announce a third competition in Fall 2021. Marciano added, “As Selection Committee Chairman, I am looking forward to the next year of this Challenge and the opportunities it presents to the workforce of the future.”

For more information about the FAA Challenge: Smart Airport Student Competition, visit: http://faachallenge.nianet.org or email faachallenge@nianet.org.

See archived video of the team’s presentations at: https://livestream.com/viewnow/faachallenge.

For more information about the William J. Hughes Technical Center, go to: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang/offices/tc.

For more information about the National Institute of Aerospace, please visit https://www.nianet.org.