Business Wire

CA-XPRIZE

Share
XPRIZE Taps Visionary Sci-Fi Writers to Imagine the Future of Telepresence Technologies

XPRIZE , the global leader in incentivized prize competitions, in partnership with ANA , Japan’s 5-star airline, announce Avatars Inc , a unique online anthology that blends original science fiction stories with a writing competition to imagine novel use-cases of telepresence technology in the future.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200408005209/en/

The anthology, edited by Ann VanderMeer, includes 24 original pieces by high-profile authors including James SA Corey, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tade Thompson, Pat Cadigan, JY Yang, Ken Liu, Charles Yu, Paul McAuley, K Chess, Johanna Sinisalo, and Aliette de Bodard.

The premise for the anthology is as follows:

Established in 2038, Avatars Inc is the world’s leading producer of robotic avatar systems that can transport a human’s senses, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time. For the next few decades, they developed hundreds of avatar models and enabled millions of operator-hours. In 2080, a campaign was underway to physically retrieve, preserve and archive the memories from their most valuable units. We have been searching the world, and even deep into the solar system, to acquire the chips that contain avatar memories spanning the 21st century. These are those memories.

The short story contest is open through May 8, 2020 and is open to anyone over the age of 18 who submits an original story between 2,500 – 3,500 words, bringing to life a ‘missing’ avatar memory. Members of XPRIZE’s Science Fiction Advisory Council will vote on the finalist pieces to select the grand prize winner, who will then receive a prize package including a 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W Processor iMac Pro, a GoPro Hero7 Camera, Sony noise cancelling headphones, a 32GB Kindle Paperwhite, a JoneR Universal Translator, and more.

The fictional Avatars Inc was inspired by the real-life $10 million ANA Avatar XPRIZE , a four-year global competition focused on the development of an avatar system that can transport a human’s senses, actions, and presence to a remote location in real time. The competition was launched in March 2018 at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin.

“The world of Avatars Inc was made possible by the incredible partnership between XPRIZE and ANA and is intended to elevate the overall conversation about avatars among the general public, making the topic of avatars accessible, relevant and exciting, while creating demand and interest in the technologies that will result from the ANA Avatar XPRIZE,” said David Locke, Prize Lead of the ANA Avatar XPRIZE.

As of January 2020, a total of 77 teams from 19 countries qualified to compete. In March 2022, up to 20 teams will compete in the finals, which will include performance tests based on specific tasks that showcase the application of avatar technologies across several use-case scenarios. The first-place winner will receive $5 million.

To explore the world of Avatars Inc, and to submit your short story, visit http://www.avatars.inc .

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world’s grandest challenges. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10 Million Rainforest XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE and the $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org .

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Andersen Consulting udvider sit udbud med LBC12.12.2025 11:09:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse

Andersen Consulting styrker sine kompetencer gennem en samarbejdsaftale med LBC, en Portugal-baseret international virksomhed kendt for sin integrerede tilgang til forretningsoptimering, digital transformation og udvikling af menneskelig kapital, der kombinerer kreativitet og menneskelig etik med ai med henblik på at accelerere værdiskabelse. LBC blev stiftet i 2001 og bistår internationale organisationer, offentlige instanser og virksomheder inden for adskillige brancher, herunder finans, energi, TMT, transport og den offentlige sektor. LBC betjener kunder i Afrika, Nord- og Sydamerika samt Europa og leverer ydelser inden for management consulting, digital transformation, kapacitetsopbygning og ai-implementering. Virksomheden er kendt for en kultur præget af innovativ transformation med fokus på vedvarende resultater og hjælper kunder med at navigere i komplekse forandringer med målbar effekt. Nylige investeringer i enterprise AI styrker virksomhedens kompetencer inden for UX/UI, auto

INNIO to Supply Technology for a Landmark Project in Texas, Reinforcing Grid Stability12.12.2025 09:59:00 CET | Press release

INNIO Group, a leading energy solution and service provider, is collaborating with the U.S. power utility Greenville Electric Utility System (GEUS) on a landmark 104-megawatt (MW) power plant. The new plant is designed to help reinforce grid stability, cover peak loads, and enable greater integration of renewable energy. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211712708/en/ Jenbacher J920 FleXtra “This project is a milestone for Texas and for INNIO. With fast-start capability, flexibility, and sustainability, we are creating the energy infrastructure that modern grids need: reliable, growth-promoting, and supporting the expansion of renewables,” said Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of INNIO Group. Groundbreaking for the plant’s construction took place in early December, with commissioning scheduled for summer 2027. The groundbreaking marks the beginning of the largest installation to date of Jenbacher J920 FleX

Kioxia Develops Core Technology that Will Allow the Practical Implementation of High-density, Low-power 3D DRAM12.12.2025 06:24:00 CET | Press release

Showcase the technology of highly stackable oxide-semiconductor channel transistors Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced the development of highly stackable oxide-semiconductor channel transistors that will enable the practical implementation of high-density, low-power 3D DRAM. This technology was presented at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) held in San Francisco, USA, on December 10, and has the potential to reduce power consumption across a wide range of applications, including AI servers and IoT components. In the era of AI, there is growing demand for DRAM with larger capacity and lower power consumption that can process large amounts of data. Traditional DRAM technology is reaching the physical limits of memory cell size scaling, prompting research into the 3D stacking of memory cells to provide additional capacity. The use of single-crystal silicon as the channel material for transistors in stacked memory cells, as is the

Andersen Global styrker sine juridiske kapaciteter med tilføjelsen af brasiliansk medlemsfirma11.12.2025 18:49:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse

Andersen Global udbygger sin juridiske platform i Brasilien, da Lotti e Araújo bliver et medlemsfirma, hvilket styrker organisationens kapacitet i Latinamerika. Lotti e Araújo blev stiftet for over 20 år siden og tilbyder omfattende juridisk rådgivning til brasilianske og multinationale klienter inden for en lang række brancher. Dets tværfaglige praksis omfatter selskabsret, skatteret, arbejdsret, retssager, inkasso og inddrivelse af gæld – samt specialiseret arbejde med at identificere skjulte aktiver og inddrive anke- og retsindskud i ældre sager. Firmaet håndterer også voldgift, forvaltningsret, udenlandske investeringer, fast ejendom, intellektuel ejendomsret, databeskyttelse og virksomhedsomstrukturering og tilbyder juridisk assistance inden for selskabsdannelse og repræsentation over for tilsynsmyndigheder. Teamet rådgiver klienter om forebyggende juridiske strategier og komplekse tvister for administrative organer og domstole i Brasilien. "Hos Lotti e Araújo bygger vores praksis

BEYOND Developments Reveals a New Vision for Purposeful Living on Dubai Islands with SIORA11.12.2025 18:02:00 CET | Press release

A 2M sqft masterplan inspired by Japanese garden principles, crafted around balance, clarity, and the quiet rhythm of coastal life BEYOND Developments, the bold and design-led real estate developer shaping next-generation waterfront destinations in the UAE, today unveiled SIORA, its first beachfront masterplan on Dubai Islands and the company’s second large-scale community within a year. The launch underscores BEYOND’s accelerated growth and strong alignment with Dubai’s future urban vision. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211014389/en/ BEYOND Developments - SIORA Masterplan at sunset - Dubai Islands (Photo: AETOSWire) Spanning over 2M square feet, SIORA is conceived as a coastal sanctuary inspired by Japanese garden philosophies, including the pursuit of Ikigai, the Japanese concept of finding purpose and fulfilment in everyday life. In this context, it reflects a philosophy of creating spaces that bring c

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye