Design challenge this month

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Air Force Research Laboratory will host teams from all three service academies and 17 universities for the Annual AFRL Design Challenge April 15-20 at the Air Force Enlisted Village in Shalimar, Fla. The demonstrations begin 1 p.m. each day. AFRL collected input from warfighters to identify problems with real-world application and rapid transition potential. In August 2012, teams were given the engineering design challenge, Portable Bridge Technology, $20,000, and nine months to create a demonstrable solution. This year’s challenge is to design a system for a team of four Special Operations Force personnel to cross irrigation canals, go rooftop-to-rooftop, cross snow and glacier crevasses, etc., under a variety of conditions. Each team will partner three students with one battlefield airman from Hurlburt Field Air Force Base, Fla., to complete the obstacle course using their prototype design. The AFRL Design Competition allows AFRL and the warfighter to benefit from some creative ideas that address a real military need while also giving students an opportunity to work under real-world conditions. The students gain experience in rapid prototyping and engineering a solution for a real customer-need, while knowing that their contribution can make a difference. (Source: 96th Test Wing Public Affairs, 04/10/13)