The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in partnership with the Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) is sponsoring the eighth year of a student challenge focused on Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) technology.

The key goals of the challenge are to:

1) Utilize SDR hardware and development tools to encourage hands-on skill building and experiential student learning

2) Develop novel solutions to sensing and networking challenges using SDR concepts. The challenge will run throughout the course of the 2025-2026 academic year (June 2025 – April 2026). Selected teams receive AFRL-provided base SDR kits (see below) and are encouraged to introduce additional/more capable hardware into their proposed project.

AFRL-Provided Base SDR Kit Contents:

• 2x NI USRP-2901: 70 MHz-6 GHz, 2-Channel, 56 MHz Bandwidth SDR

• 2x VERT2450: 2.4 and 5 GHz Dual Band Vertical Antenna

• 2x VERT900: 824-960 MHz 1710-1990 MHz Dual Band Vertical Antenna

• 2x VERT400: 144 MHz, 400 MHX, 1200 MHz Tri Band Vertical Antenna

AFRL has teamed with industry partners to help provide videos and learning tools for participants to become more familiar with SDR hardware and concepts. In addition, teams have the option to engage the AFRL and industry partners to provide project updates and received specific technical and programmatic feedback throughout the year.

Top teams will be invited (travel reimbursement available) to demonstrate their skills and compete for prizes at an in-person final challenge event in April 2026 (Dayton, Ohio). Space will be provided for the teams to demonstrate and present what they have accomplished, interact with teams from across the country and practicing engineers/scientists from AFRL/industry. Individual student participants may also apply for travel grants to present their results at a refereed conference.