Mumbai: Otis India, a subsidiary of Otis Worldwide Corporation, the global leader in the manufacture, installation and servicing of elevators and escalators, has announced the 5th edition of its annual global Made to Move Communities challenge, with the theme— ‘Developing Urban Mobility Solutions Using AI’. This year, Otis is inviting stand-out entries for inclusive and sustainable mobility solutions developed by leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence, as AI is revolutionizing the speed, accuracy and scale at which complex challenges are addressed. Over the next several months, more than 250 students from dozens of schools representing over 15 countries and territories around the world will participate in the Made to Move Communities challenge to propose innovative ways in which AI can improve urban mobility. They’ll be guided by volunteer mentors from Otis across the globe.
“In today’s rapid urbanization landscape, AI stands as a transformative force in reimagining mobility solutions that enhance connectivity while reducing environmental impact. We are innately curious to see how the students will champion the integration of AI in mobility and create resilient solutions that cater to the evolving needs of our communities and pave the way to a smarter, more inclusive and sustainable future,” said Mr. Sebi Joseph, President, Otis India while commenting on the theme of the upcoming edition of the global competition.
Further, Otis also announced the winners of the 4th edition of the contest held last year. On the world stage, Otis recognised a team of eight extraordinary minds of Bharat Mata High School, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, who represented Otis India. Under the expert guidance of a team of mentors from Otis India, the student representatives honed their skills and presented a STEM-based proposal of their curation— ‘Go-Green’. This proposal included an innovative mobility solution to expand access to green space and advance wellbeing.
Since 2020, Otis’ annual Made to Move Communities global student competition has engaged over 750 students and hundreds of Otis colleagues worldwide, with the goal of addressing urban mobility challenges while sparking a lifelong interest in STEM. Participating schools have received nearly $1 million (USD) in grants from Otis to further STEM learning and programs in their schools. Until now, students used to compete regionally, with a winning team selected in each of the four Otis regions – Asia Pacific, China, Americas, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. This year, for the first time, the four regional winning teams will compete in a final round to determine a global team champion. Student teams will need to share how their solutions to local challenges can be scaled globally, and the global team champion will receive an additional grant for their school.