Twenty teams of researchers from the robotics industry and university labs across eleven countries are gearing up for the ANA Avatar XPRIZE. The finals take place in November with case prizes of $5 Million, $2 Million and $1 Million for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams.

XPRIZE is an educational nonprofit organization which manages large-scale, high-profile, competitions in order to:
"bring  about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity".  

This contest, sponsored by All Nippon Airways (ANA) opened in 2018 with the challenge being:

 to develop a robotic avatar system that bridges space and time to allow a person’s consciousness, knowledge and skills to be instantly transported.

For the purposes of this competition, an Avatar System is defined as a physical Robotic Avatar operated by a person which enables the operator to interact within a remote environment in a manner that feels as if they are truly there.

According to XPRIZE founder, Peter H. Diamandis

The ANA Avatar XPRIZE can enable the creation of an audacious alternative that could bypass physical human limitations, allowing us to more rapidly and efficiently distribute skills and hands-on expertise to distant geographic locations where they are needed, bridging the gap between distance, time and cultures.

This idea of telepresence may sound like science fiction but the teams that entered the challenge have found ways to use our current technology to enable avatars to be controlled at a distance and convey the intentions, emotions, and provide true interaction at a remote location.

Examples of how Avatars might help us in the future include: 

• Providing Care
  Avatars could give the experience of your presence and care to anyone instantly, regardless of distance.  

• Disaster Relief
  Avatars could transport critical life-saving skills in real-time to remote, disaster-struck areas where it is too dangerous for humans to go. 
• Multipurpose Utility
  Experts can utilize avatars to provide unique services or rare trade skills for critical maintenance or repairs.  

Thirty eight teams qualified for the semi-finals held in Miami, Florida in September 2021. 15 teams were selected at that in-person event but due to Covid restriction some teams were unable to attend (shame they didn't have a spare avatar or two) and a further five teams were subsequently selected. The full list is here and you can see the video presentations of their varied projects.

The Final Tests, which will be streamed live, take place November 4-5, 2022 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Los Angeles. 

More Information

ANA Avatar XPRIZE

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