Almost Rocket Science: Using Crowdsourcing Challenge to Close Technology Gaps in Neurosurgery (Preprint)

BACKGROUND With the current exponential increase in technical innovations worldwide, potential solutions for any new problem might already exist, despite having been developed to solve a different problem. We reached out to the crowd to raise awareness of our challenge of developing intraoperative, real-time identification of fiber tracts and tumor borders to improve neurosurgical oncology. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of crowdsourcing campaigns for raising awareness and finding out-of-the-box solutions for challenges in neuroscience. METHODS We ran a prize-based crowdsourcing competition on the commercial platform HeroX offering prize money previously collected through a crowdfunding campaign. In a multi-stage approach, we selected promising technical solutions based on broad, predefined criteria. RESULTS Our online campaign attracted more than 20,000 views, and we received 45 proposals from 32 individuals and 7 teams. These solvers, who were working in various fields, came from 26 countries on 4 continents. Further exchanges with 3 of the 5 finalists ensued, and a successful scientific collaboration was initiated with the winner of the challenge. CONCLUSIONS Prize-based crowdsourcing campaigns are a promising strategy for raising awareness, finding innovative solutions, and establishing new scientific collaborations in neuroscience. CLINICALTRIAL N/A