Nokia has partnered with the X PRIZE Foundation to launch the Nokia Sensing X CHALLENGE, a $2.25 million global competition to stimulate the development of a new generation of health sensors and sensing technologies. The final goal of the competition is to improve the quality and accuracy of monitoring a person’s health.

Photo: X PRIZE Foundation Chairman
and CEO Dr. Peter H. Diamandis and Nokia Executive
Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Henry Tirri

If the improvements in these technologies will be developed, consumers will be able monitor and collect their own real-time health data. The new sensing solutions will ease the delivery of healthcare services, as well as reduce high costs to the benefit of health providers and patients.

«Nokia engages in Open Innovation on many different levels; this type of ‘grand challenge’ is not only a unique method of driving significant progress in a short space of time, but one which can also help to create an entire ecosystem,» said Nokia Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Dr. Henry Tirri. «This competition will enable us to realize the full potential of mobile sensing devices, leading to advances in sensing technology, which can play a major role in transforming the lives of billions of people around the world.»

The Nokia Sensing X CHALLENGE will be divided in three stages, held over the next three years. Each competition will be comprised of three phases: Registration, Preliminary Judging and Final Phase Judging. International teams are invited to submit technology ideas starting this month. The solutions developed as part of the Nokia Sensing X CHALLENGE may also be utilized as part of a team’s effort to win the $10 million Qualcomm Tricorder X PRIZE, a global competition aiming to drive development of easily-navigating healthcare devices. More information about the competition is available online.

Last year, Nokia partnered with Vision+ investment fund to reinforce its development of games and apps especially focused on Converged Gaming, Entertainment & Education and Preventive Health Care and Wellness.