Battelle among Opioid Detection Challenge finalists

Science and technology firm Battelle is a finalist in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s Opioid Detection Challenge.

The $1.55 million global prize competition seeks to develop tools to aid the process of locating illicit opioids in international mail. Each finalist receives $100,000 in cash prizes and advances to Stage 2 of the competition.

Challenge Stage 1 sought plans for automated tools and technologies possessing the potential to easily detect opioids in packaging without disrupting the flow of mail. The Challenge received 83 submissions from domestic and international innovators.

Battelle’s submission consisted of an Automated Multimodal Opioid Detection system where machine learning algorithms are applied to images captured through dual-energy radiography and hyperspectral imaging.

The next steps involve the finalists joining the 14-week prototyping accelerator, working with the DHS Science and Technology Directorate, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) to develop testable prototypes.

Stage 2 consists of a live test event hosted by DHS, with prototypes tested on-site at a government facility and the Challenge will award a $500,000 grand prize and one $250,000 runner-up prize. The government plans to develop these prototypes into the next generation of opioid interdiction tools.

In 2017, approximately 50,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses, according to Battelle. International mail has been identified as a route for illicit opioids entering the United States, commonly transported in nearly pure, powdered form.