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Proposal submission deadline: 20 March 2023 (23.59 CET) 

Extended deadline: 31 March 2023 (23.59 CET) 

 

Student Innovation Challenge 2023

In the Student Innovation Challenge (SIC), students are invited to solve real-world problems using haptic technology. The theme of the 2023 Challenge is “Virtual connections”. Students are invited to design a set of interactions that enable users who are not physically together to still connect. These connections can span a broad range of interactions, such as leaving haptic messages for friends, collaborating on designing a 3D CAD model in a shared space, or a virtual handshake at the start of an online meeting.

This year the challenge consists of 2 phases. In phase 1, students work on the challenge in their own labs using a Razer headset which provides vibrotactile and auditory feedback. From this phase, the three best teams will be selected for phase 2 of the challenge: a week-long hackaton hosted by SenseGlove (Delft, the Netherlands) in the week prior to the World Haptics conference! These 3 teams will also get a chance to showcase their work in a demo during the conference. The winning team will receive a free Senseglove Nova. 

Important dates

  • 20 March 2023 (23.59 CET): Proposal submission deadline
  • 31 March 2023 (23.59 CET): extended submission deadline
  • 07 April 2023: Teams receive notification of proposal selection
  • 12 April 2023: Teams receive Razer headsets and SDK
  • 22 May 2023 (23.59 CET): Submission phase 1 due 
  • 26 May 2023: Teams receive notification of phase 1 scores
  • 3-7 July 2023: Phase 2 hackathon at SenseGlove
  • 10-13 July 2023: World Haptics 2023, including demo session for hackathon teams

Hardware and software

Phase 1

During the first phase of the challenge, each team will receive a Razer headset as a gift. These headsets provide audio and vibrotactile feedback. A template Unity scene will be provided for a smooth start of the project. The headsets do need to be plugged into a PC, which the students will have to provide for themselves. If they would like to prototype in VR, which is recommended but not required, they will also have to use their own VR headsets.

Phase 2

During the in-person hackathon at SenseGlove, each team will receive a pair of SenseGlove Nova haptic gloves to work with. These gloves provide hand tracking, force feedback and vibrotactile feedback. A template Unity scene and a VR headset will be provided, and technical assistance will be present to get everyone up and running quickly. SenseGlove will also provide the infrastructure to run Unity scenes on two machines in a multi-player setting.

Teams

The challenge is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Teams may have between 2 and 5 members. Teams are free to enlist one creative professional as an advisor among professors, teachers, designers, and engineers; but the work must be done by the students only, and all team members must be students at the time of submitting the application. Each team will receive a Razer headset, but the team members do not need to physically work in the same lab.

Ideally, all team members would be willing to travel to Delft during the hackathon week if their team is selected for phase 2. If this would not be possible, this can be indicated in the challenge application, and arrangements can be made for online participation in the hackathon. Do note that at least 2 team members should be physically present in Delft during the entire hackathon week.

We encourage the participation of groups traditionally underrepresented in robotics and haptics research (including but not limited to: women, LGBTQ+, underrepresented minorities, and people with disabilities).

Proposals

Even though the hardware is very different in the 2 phases, students are encouraged to think about a single ‘space’ in which their interactions in the 2 phases both could take place. The interactions themselves can be very different, but the context should be similar. For instance, the context could be a video call between a parent and a child, in which phase 1 interactions could include sharing a song in audio and haptics, while phase 2 interactions include a virtual hug.

To apply for the challenge, each team should submit a proposal containing the following components:

  • A two-page/1500-word proposal detailing:
    • the target context
    • the proposed interaction(s)
    • a practical description of how users are intended to engage in the interaction
    • the intended use of haptic feedback
    • a description of how the solution supports virtual connections
    • a roadmap for the project and a description of how your team’s skill set can be used to achieve success

Separate sections can be used to describe the interactions and solutions for the 2 phases;

  • A short ‘teaser’ description of the target context and proposed solution (max 300 words description);
  • Concept images and/or sketches;
  • Names and email addresses of all team members and their qualifications (level, experience, and backgrounds), along with a statement if these team members would be available for the in-person hackathon in Delft (July 3-7 2023);
  • A contact name, email address, and a physical address for shipment of the hardware.

To apply, teams should submit the components in the bullets listed above as a single zipfile via email at sic@worldhaptics.org. Submissions close on 31 March 2023, 23.59 CET.

The selected teams will receive further instructions about how to submit their phase 1 solutions along with their notifications of selection. 

As inspiration, examples of previous SIC projects for past WHC editions can be found here: application domain-specific in 2019 (VR and mobility), hardware-specific in 2021 (vibrotactile), 2017 (2 DoF force feedback), and 2015 (programmable friction).

Awards

All teams that are selected for phase 1 will receive a Razer headset as a gift. The teams that are selected for phase 2 will be hosted by SenseGlove for the full hackathon week. They will be able to use their hardware for the full week and will receive technical support. All phase 2 teams will also receive a place in a demo booth to showcase their solutions during the World Haptics conference. The team that creates the best solution during phase 2, will win a pair of SenseGlove Nova haptic gloves. All submissions – both phase 1 and 2 – will be rated on a broad range of criteria, including quality of the haptic sensation, creativity of the design, multi-sensory congruency, appropriateness of the interaction, ease of use, degree of immersion, etc.

For any questions, please contact the Student Innovation Chair, Femke van Beek, via sic@worldhaptics.org.