In an effort to encourage technological innovation that advances our sport, USPA is holding a technology development contest in conjunction with its exhibit at the Parachute Industry Association Symposium in Dallas, Texas, February 4-8. USPA’s Skydiving Technology Advancement Roundup (STAR) competition, co-sponsored by Sigma, is a collaborative effort to spotlight and support new software that benefits skydiving in some way. Finalists will have the opportunity to demonstrate their products at USPA’s exhibit booth to compete for cash prizes and attention from potential investors.

The competition is open to anyone who manufactures, designs, engineers or promotes technology products in the skydiving field. The competition includes three categories and will award thousands of dollars in cash prizes:

• Jumper Experience: technology that specifically serves the individual jumper
• Drop Zone Tools: tool or service specifically designed to aid in the operation of drop zone facilities
• Safety and Training: technology that improves the sport’s safety or individual safety

Additionally, Sigma will name a winner for a solution that connects with Sigma’s data using their REST API, which defines a set of functions that developers can use to perform requests and receive responses. To get a key to connect to Sigma’s data, you must be a Sigma Org and request access here: try.sig.ma/dev.

A judging panel will select three entries in each category as finalists. The finalists will publicly demonstrate their projects at the USPA exhibit booth during the week of the PIA Symposium in Dallas. Each day, three finalists will have 20 minutes to provide an overview demo and then explain their tool in detail.

Among the judging criteria are:

• Innovation: How unique or new is the concept? Is this a new way to solve something or just another version of something that is already in the market?
• Completion/Functionality: Does the submission work as described? Is the product free of bugs with all parts complete?
• Impact: Will this solution be widely usable/adoptable by the greater community?

The judges will announce the winner in each category on the final day of the exhibit hall.

Entries must be submitted through the USPA website at uspa.org/star no later than November 15. The nine finalists will be selected by December 20. Complete rules appear on the USPA website. More information is also available by emailing uspainnovate@sig.ma.