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Australia’s smartest innovators hack driver fatigue

17 April 2018

Australia’s smartest innovators are heading to Canberra to hack through one of the trucking industry’s most complex safety issues – driver fatigue management.

In partnership with Teletrac Navman and Canberra Innovation Network, the Australian Trucking Association’s FatigueHACK will create new technologies, designs, products, partnerships and policy.

“The hackathon participants are looking to create a solution that will help the industry and our regulators stay ahead of technological change,” ATA Safety and Skills Advisor Melissa Weller said today.

“Drivers have told us the current system simply isn’t working. It tells them how long to drive for and when to take their breaks, but everyone is different.

“We’re looking for technology that will disrupt current thinking and empower drivers to manage their own fatigue,” she said.

More than 50 competitors have registered for the competition, including a hardware start up that has won a NASA Space Apps Global Award. The hackathon also welcomes an award-winning team of Canberra business women and several teams of tertiary students.

Throughout the competition, teams will work closely with mentors from a range of backgrounds and roles including truck drivers, owner operators, CEO’s, health professionals, technology experts, and innovation specialists.

“The participants in FatigueHACK will have access to Trucking Australia delegates who nominated as mentors and rapid innovation workshops that will accelerate their progress throughout the two days,” CEO of Canberra Innovation Network Petr Adamek said.

“In addition to the hackathon prizes, CBR Innovation Network will work with the winning teams to get them acceleration and incubation ready and provide them with post program support.

“This support includes fully sponsored access to lean innovation workshop programs and space alongside other entrepreneurs and innovators in CBR Innovation Network,” he said.

The top three teams will share in $10,000 prize money and pitch their solutions to delegates at the ATA’s event for industry leaders, Trucking Australia 2018 during a session that will decide the industry’s way forward on driver fatigue.

“The Australian trucking industry generates $40 billion in revenue and employs over 211,500 people,” Mrs Weller said.

“This nationally significant and vital industry is waiting for an answer to this problem,” she said.

FatigueHACK will be held during Trucking Australia 2018 at the National Convention Centre, Canberra, from 18-20 April 2018.