Submissions Open for Naval VR Training Challenge

Submissions are open through July 18, 2025, for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Life-Threatening Situations Extended Reality Trainer Challenge, which offers $170,000 in total prizes. Both registration and solution submission are required by the deadline.

The challenge is being conducted by the Central Florida Tech Grove in partnership with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the Office of Naval Research (ONR), NavalX, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD). It seeks a deployable virtual reality training solution that prepares naval mechanics to respond to life-threatening situations.

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard aims to modernize the Navy’s required 6010 training course, currently taught through classroom instruction. The goal is to reduce the time workers spend off the waterfront while improving retention and realism using extended reality.

Proposed VR systems must simulate scenarios such as: detecting onboard smoke and executing proper evacuation steps; identifying expired gas-free tags and unsafe workspaces; and responding to onboard fires with the correct use of alert systems and extinguishers. The solution must support qualification and requalification training, meet 6010 standards, and ease the burden on training personnel.

To enter, participants must register and submit solutions by 11:59 PM EDT on July 18, 2025. Full details and entry links are available on Challenge.gov.