Each year, AFIMSC Ventures, the center's innovation office, holds a "Call for Innovation" campaign to help Airmen and civilian members of mission support groups around the world pitch their ideas, partner with innovation experts and find funding. Chosen finalists compete for a share of at least $1 million in funding and resources to pursue their ideas.
Finalists spend a week learning from leading innovators and honing their pitches before trying to convince a board of senior Air Force installation and mission support leaders that their idea is the best.
An idea to deliver multi-capable equipment for agile combat employment operations won the 2023 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Rodeo July 21, 2023, in San Antonio. Other past Innovation Rodeo winners include:
• An idea for Autonomous Airfield Operations won the 2022 Innovation Rodeo on Aug. 19, 2022.
• An idea for a smart locker mail system in base dorms, giving the Airmen a centralized location to receive packages after hours, won the 2021 Innovation Rodeo. Robins AFB, Georgia, held a ribbon cutting for the system on March 30, 2022.
• Mobile apps to make life easier for Airmen and their families, including one to centralize and streamline the subletting of short-term slots at military child development centers.
• An idea to replace the current manual mapping of underground cabling and wiring with the use of augmented reality;
• A project to leverage Geospatial Information Systems and aerial imagery for facility roof inspections;
• A proposal to use autonomous robotic lawn mowers to cut the grass in and around airfields at night to reduce aircraft bird-strike hazards.
AFIMSC’s innovation team has also partnered with rapid acquisition leaders to convert Airmen’s innovative ideas into reality at record pace. As such, winning projects are now in various stages of development. For complete Innovation Rodeo coverage, visit www.dvidshub.net/feature/AFIMSCIR. For more information about the AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo, email AFIMSC.Innovation@us.af.mil.