SPARK Challenge

The Computer Vision, Imaging & Machine Intelligence Research Group (CVI²) is launching the SPARK2021 challenge for this year's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference on Image Processing (IEEE ICIP) conference. The conference is focused on image and video processing and computer vision. It will be held in Anchorage-Alaska, from 19 - 22 September 2021. The team headed by Dr. Djamila Aouada have organised the challenge as part of CVI²’s research on image processing and computer vision, with the support of the sponsor LiftMeOff.

The SPAcecraft Recognition leveraging Knowledge of Space Environment (SPARK) challenge requires contestants to design data-driven approaches for space target recognition, including classification and detection. Aside from being a fun component of the conference, the challenge attempts to overcome the lack of sufficient labelled space data which has limited the efforts of the research community in developing data-driven space object recognition approaches. This challenge offers an opportunity to benchmark existing object classification and recognition algorithms and aims to spark collaborations between the image/vision sensing community and the space community.

The SPARK Challenge is sponsored by LiftMeOff (LMO). LMO is a UK & Luxembourg business developing Propulsion and Space Situational Awareness subsystems for the NewSpace and In-Orbit Servicing markets.

Registrations for the challenge close on 1 April 2021. The winners will be announced at the ICIP Conference from the 19 - 22 September 2021 and win part of the 1,000€ cash prize.