A team from Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Flagstaff has achieved a remarkable feat by securing a $250,000 prize at the XPRIZE Wildfire Competition. Their triumph not only brought them financial reward but also international acclaim.
Team Snuffed excelled in the Space-Based Detection & Intelligence category, earning the methodological innovation award and finishing second overall. Their success was announced at the XPRIZE Wildfire Awards Ceremony in New York City on September 23.
The team includes NAU professors David Trilling and Alexander Shenkin. Shenkin, who leads the software platform EmberSat, aims to revolutionize wildfire management by using machine learning to analyze satellite data and detect early fire indications. “The challenge is not just detecting fires quickly but also minimizing false positives and making the information easy to act on,” Shenkin explained.
With a total of $4.5 million distributed among various teams, the XPRIZE Wildfire competition sought innovative solutions for harmonious human-fire coexistence. The challenge was divided into two tracks: Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence and Autonomous Wildfire Response. These initiatives aim to optimize early detection and response to wildfires, thereby mitigating their impact.
During a test in April, EmberSat monitored approximately 800,000 square kilometers in New South Wales, Australia, providing real-time data to competition judges. Trilling expressed hope for broader coverage in the future, stating, “We’re pursuing much broader, ongoing capabilities in stratospheric sensing, resource allocation and fire suppression.”
NAU’s vice president for research, Jason Wilder, praised the team’s achievement as a testament to the university’s commitment to impactful research. “This,” Wilder said, “is NAU research at its best—partnering with scientists, engineers and fire professionals in our own community to tackle a threat Arizonans deal with every year and produce a solution with truly global reach.”
Team Snuffed also includes Christopher Edwards, Cody Hartman, Mike Felts, and several other professionals dedicated to wildfire management.
Jill Kimball | NAU Communications
(928) 523-2282 | jill.kimball@nau.edu
Read More Here
