Epic Blue's positioning solution 'Shyn' is top contender in international competition for smart tracking solutions for firefighters

Epic Blue's positioning solution 'Shyn' is top contender in international competition for smart tracking solution for firefighters

[Leuven, September 5] - Epic Blue, the Belgian pioneer of cutting-edge inertial positioning technology, has secured a place in the final of the prestigious First Responders Smart Tracking (FRST) Challenge.

With an impressive $5,6 million in prize funds, Epic Blue's Shyn is set to make waves in the field of wearable technology for emergency workers.

Shyn, developed by Epic Blue, is the world's first AI-driven wearable designed to enable precise 3D positioning in GPS-denied environments. This groundbreaking technology allows first responders (firefighters, police officers, security agents) to maintain accurate positioning even in the most demanding circumstances, such as burning buildings, underground parkings.

In emergency situations, accurate positioning is paramount to ensuring the safety and efficiency of first responders. Traditional Indoor Positioning Systems are often expensive and difficult to install and maintain, and are therefore limited in their practicality in critical scenarios. Shyn’s technology combines AI, sensor fusion and multi-GNSS tracking, ensuring uninterrupted and precise 3D positioning in challenging environments where GPS signals may be denied or jammed.

Frederik Malesevic, Innovation Manager at Epic Blue, stated: "We are excited to participate in the final of the FRST Challenge and showcase the capabilities of our wearable Shyn to the world. Winning this prestigious competition will enable us to invest in cutting-edge research and development, pushing the boundaries of positioning technology and saving lives in the process."

The FRST Challenge, brings together technical teams and first responders to create solutions for indoor localization and tracking in a variety of buildings without any pre-deployed infrastructure. The final round will take place in October 2023 in the US, where a panel of esteemed judges will evaluate the competing innovations after a series of live field tests. With a total of $5.6 million in prize funds awarded across five phases of the competition, Epic Blue's wearable Shyn is ready to make a significant impact and emerge as the frontrunner in the competition. So it goes without saying that we're very proud to work our mechanical engineering magic on this one.

Shyn was developed by Comate, specialist in engineering and designing high-tech hardware solutions, in close collaboration with firefighter teams. Imec.istart – imec's business accelerator - and Start it @KBC – accelerator for startups - supported Epic Blue in achieving their goals and becoming a successful startup.