VDOT invites innovators to hackathon, idea jam on Aug. 17-18

VDOT, in partnership with the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission and the Center for Innovative Technology, invites developers, planners, futurists and data enthusiasts to the third installment of the SmarterRoads Hackathon and Idea Jam Series set for Friday, August 17 and Saturday, August 18 at CoLab Roanoke, located at 1327 Grandin Road SW, Roanoke.

Featuring VDOT’s open data sets and the SmarterRoads.com data portal, participants can submit concepts and solutions to help address Virginia’s greatest transportation needs.

“Data and technology are changing how we do business,” said VDOT Chief Deputy Commissioner Rob Cary. “These hackathons are opportunities for innovators to unleash VDOT’s vast amounts of data to provide new and innovative solutions in transportation.”

Winning teams in six categories will receive cash prizes, mentoring sessions and opportunities to present concepts at future workshops:

Hackathon: First Place

• Cash prize
• Executive mentoring experience
• Opportunity to pitch concept at a future workshop

Hackathon: Second Place

• Cash prize
• Executive mentoring experience
• Opportunity to pitch concept at a future workshop

Idea Jam: Resiliency

• Cash prize or prize package

• Cash prize or prize package

People’s Choice

• Cash prize or prize package
• Opportunity to pitch concept at a future workshop

VDOT plans to hold a similar event in the Fredericksburg region later this year.

Resources

• For more information and to register for the event in Roanoke, visit https://nvite.com/SmarterRoadsVA/xz2m22.
• For more information on the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, visit http://rvarc.org/.
• For more information on the Center for Innovative Technology, visit https://www.cit.org/.