DecodeX '26 - Enter the Mission. Decode the Unknown

DecodeX '26 – Enter the Mission. Decode the Unknown

DecodeX '26 is a national-level signal processing competition in the style of a CTF (Capture the Flag), participants decode hidden messages and secrets buried inside real-world signals, using filtering, spectral analysis, demodulation, and machine learning. Every flag is earned by actually working with the data.

What to Expect:

• Challenges on real world signals: Audio, biomedical, radar and sensor data, with puzzles that need real signal processing, not guesswork.
• Hands-on problem solving: Each challenge hides a flag inside a signal or dataset. Participants identify what they're dealing with, pick the right signal processing or ML technique, and extract the answer.
• Rising difficulty: Start with approachable puzzles and work up to harder multi-stage ones.

Event Objectives:

• Promote the practical application of signal processing concepts through hands-on challenges beyond the classroom.
• Introduce students to Capture The Flag (CTF)-style competitions in the field of signal processing.
• Develop analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills through time-bound challenges.
• Provide a platform for students from colleges across India to compete, collaborate, and network.
• Encourage exploration of emerging technologies such as AI/ML applications in signal processing, biomedical signals, and radar sensing.
• Foster connections between students, industry sponsors, and the wider IEEE community.

Challenge Domains:

• Audio Processing
• Biomedical Signals
• Radar Signals
• Sensor Data

Competition Format:

Mission 1 - The Infiltration - Online CTF

• Open to students pursuing a bachelor's degree across India.
• Duration: 2 hours
• Participants solve signal-processing-based CTF challenges.
• Top 30 teams qualify to the next stage

Mission 2 - The TakeOver - Offline Grand Finale

• Venue: BMS Institute of Technology & Management, Bengaluru.
• Finalists will face more challenging CTF problems.

Event Dates:

• 22nd Nov, 2026: Online Qualifier
• 27th - 28th Nov, 2026: Offline Finale

Organised by: IEEE Signal Processing Society BMS Institute of Technology & Management Student Branch Chapter

Guidelines:

• Team Formation: Teams must consist of 2–4 members. Teams from different colleges are allowed. Inter-specialization teams are allowed.
• Prize Pool: ₹50,000
• Eligibility Criteria: Open to all students currently pursuing their bachelor's in India, irrespective of their college or specialization.