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AFRL Software Design Radio Challenge

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Pushing the Boundaries of SDR Technologies

Four students from the 2025 SDR winning teamThe Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), in partnership with the University of Dayton School of Engineering, organizes an ongoing student challenge focused on Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) technology.

The fast growth of wireless technologies — like 5G, IoT and satellite communication — is creating a demand for flexible and customizable radio platforms. SDRs help in quickly testing and developing new wireless systems and applications. As the SDR technologies proliferate, so will the demand for student engineers to apply their skills to real-world problems.

 

About the SDR Challenge

Key Goals

The challenge's key goals are to:

  • Use SDR hardware and development tools to encourage hands-on skill building and experiential student learning.
  • Develop novel solutions to sensing and networking challenges using SDRs concepts.

Base SDR Kits

Selected teams will receive an AFRL-provided base SDR kit and are encouraged to introduce additional/more capable hardware into their proposed project.

  • (2) NI USRP-2901: 70 MHz-6 GHz, 2-Channel, 56 MHz Bandwidth SDRs
  • (2) VERT2450: 2.4 and 5 GHz Dual Band Vertical Antennas
  • (2) VERT900: 824-960 MHz 1710-1990 MHz Dual Band Vertical Antennas
  • (2) VERT400: 144 MHz, 400 MHX, 1200 MHz Tri Band Vertical Antennas

Industry Partners

AFRL teams with industry partners to help provide videos and learning tools for participants to become more familiar with SDR hardware and concepts.

Teams also have the option to engage with the AFRL and industry partners to provide project updates and receive specific technical and programmatic feedback throughout the year.

Sponsors

The AFRL SDR Challenge is grateful for our sponsors and for their role in making the event possible:

Logos of all the SDR Challenge sponsors

 
Sponsorship Opportunities

For additional information and/or questions about the sponsorship opportunities in relation to the AFRL/SDR University Challenge, contact Brian Rigling.

Questions

Programmatic Questions
Contact UD Engineering professor Brian Rigling (brigling1@udayton.edu)

Technical Questions
Contact Dr. Stephen Hary (stephen.hary@us.af.mil) and Jinhong Chen (jinhong.chen.1@us.af.mil).
Participants at the 2025 event

Important Dates

The SDR Challenge period runs from June 2026-April 2027 (throughout the 2026-27 academic year).

Team proposals will be accepted from June 1-Sept. 30, 2026. Early submission is encouraged. Email proposals to UD Engineering professor Brian Rigling at brigling1@udayton.edu.

The in-personal final challenge will take place in April 2027 in Dayton. Top teams will be invited (travel reimbursement available) to demonstrate their skills and compete for prizes. Space will be provided for teams to demonstrate and present what they have accomplished, interact with teams from across the country and  engineers/scientists from AFRL/industry. Individual student participants may also apply for travel grants to present their results at a refereed conference.

Past Winners

2024-25 Winners
  • 1st place: University of Dayton
  • 2nd place: University of North Dakota (SemCom 6G)
  • 3rd place: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (GNOATs)
  • Student Travel Grants: Mr. Asif Muhammad (University of Houston), Mr. Jin Feng Lin (UMass Dartmouth)

2023-24 Winners
  • 1st place: University of Connecticut
  • 2nd place: North Carolina State University
Contact AFRL SDR Challenge
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469
email