Honda has partnered with nonprofit organization Base 11 and online freelancing platform Freelancer to launch a $10,000 competition challenging young Americans to develop ideas for safer and more effective collaboration between humans and robots in manufacturing.
The Automation for Good: The Advanced Manufacturing Challenge, announced on October 27, invited US residents aged 18 to 26 to identify workplace hazards or physically demanding tasks and propose ways robotics could help address them.
Participants were encouraged to explore applications such as collaborative robots handling repetitive lifting, machines operating in hazardous environments and sensors identifying ergonomic risks before injuries occur.
The competition, hosted through Freelancer’s Moonshot platform, focused on using automation to support workers rather than replace them.
Addressing manufacturing skills shortages
The initiative also aimed to introduce young people to careers in advanced manufacturing, particularly as employers report difficulties recruiting skilled technicians, operators and maintenance workers.
Teniel Jones, president of Base 11, says: “Many young people have never seen what modern manufacturing work looks like. This challenge gives them a real problem, real mentors at Honda and a live stage to pitch from.”
Entries closed on October 31, with up to three finalists eligible to receive mentoring from Honda specialists before presenting their proposals at an in-person pitch event.
The competition offers $4,000 for first place, $3,000 for second and $2,000 for third, alongside a $1,000 distinction award. Finalists competing for the top three places are also eligible for travel assistance of approximately $1,600.
Entrants retain the intellectual property rights to their proposals.
The challenge forms part of Honda’s wider efforts to encourage interest in manufacturing and engineering careers.
By inviting young developers to consider the practical relationship between people and automated equipment, the organizers hope to generate ideas that improve workplace safety, reduce physical strain and make industrial automation more accessible to workers.
