ARLINGTON, Va., June 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- DRS
Technologies, Inc., a Finmeccanica Company, announced that its 2013
Student Infrared Imaging Competition is officially underway.
The competition, now in its second year, encourages
university students in participating schools to develop projects
that exhibit an innovative medium for implementing infrared imaging
technology in an application of their choosing.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121130/PH22008LOGO)
This year, 13 universities have submitted 27 unique projects,
including, infrared-equipped robotics applications, a counterfeit
detection tool, and a 3D virtualization tool for the visually
impaired. DRS will donate two of its tiny
Tamarisk®320 thermal imaging cameras to each
participating university to develop projects that portray the most
innovative use of infrared imaging.
For schools that have submitted multiple entries, the top
project from that college or university will receive $1,000. A panel of DRS senior leadership
and outside experts in the field of infrared technology will select
the grand prize winner from the best entries chosen from each
university. Finalists are then selected for an expense-paid
trip to Melbourne, Fla., where DRS
will announce the winner of the $10,000 grand prize.
This year, a new prize category has been added with the intent
to inspire even more creative uses of thermal imaging. The "Most
Viral Video" category encourages students to upload videos onto
YouTube that highlight an imaginative application of the
Tamarisk®320. The 17 submitted videos
will compete for the "Most Viral Video" top prize of $5,000.
"The Student Infrared Imaging Competition is an investment in
the future of thermal imaging," said NIS President Mike Sarrica. "Infrared technology is becoming
an increasingly important part of our lives, and teaching the
public about its advantages is something we are proud to be a part
of. This process begins in the classroom, engaging some of the
brightest minds in the country and providing them with the tools to
experiment. With this initiative, we hope to evoke creative
thinking around new applications while cultivating a greater
understanding of the infrared imaging industry," Sarrica said.
The participating universities include: University of Toledo, University of Texas-Dallas, University of Texas-Arlington, University of North Carolina-Charlotte,
Norwich University, Missouri University of Science and Technology,
Boston University, University of California-San Diego, University of California-Los Angeles, Oklahoma State University, University of Memphis, Florida
Institute of Technology, and Ohio
University.
For more information on the Student Infrared Imaging Competition
and a listing of the 2013 SIIC entries, please visit
www.drsinfrared.com/studentcomp.aspx.
About DRS Technologies
DRS Technologies, Inc. is a leading supplier of integrated
products, services and support to military forces, intelligence
agencies and prime contractors worldwide and is the 2013 recipient
of the Defense Security Service Award for Excellence in
Counterintelligence as well as three James S. Cogswell Awards for
Outstanding Industrial Security Achievement. The company is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica SpA (FNC.MI), which employs
approximately 70,000 people worldwide. Within DRS, the Network and
Imaging Systems Group (NIS) manufactures and supports advanced
electro-optical sensor systems, and develops innovative networking
capabilities that integrate these sensors in a broader tactical C4
environment. NIS operates in Dallas,
Texas; Melbourne, Fla.;
Cypress, Calif.; Huntsville, Ala.; Columbia, Md.; and the United Kingdom.
For more information about DRS, please visit the company's website
at www.drs.com.
For additional information please contact:
For DRS
Technologies
Michael Mount
Director, Public Affairs
(571)447-4624
mmount@drs.com
SOURCE DRS Technologies