U.S. Navy Expands Robotic Project in $5M Deal

The U.S. Navy has expanded its work with Gecko Robotics, in a deal that includes a $5 million contract with Huntington Ingalls Industries to increase the use of robots for maintenance cycles on Navy ships.

The news marks the second time this year that Gecko Robotics has expanded its work with the U.S. Navy.

Gecko’s pipeline of AI-powered robots is designed to scale ship exteriors, gathering data on the vessels’ structure and identifying potential maintenance issues. Using this data, companies can also build digital models of the ships to increase the speed of repairs and reduce downtime.

The expansion will see Gecko deploying increased numbers of its inspection robots to Navy “surface ships”, including Destroyers and amphibious assault ships.

“We built Gecko Robotics to collect data that has never been accessible before and use it to solve real-world problems,” said Jake Loosararian, Gecko Robotics’ CEO. “Helping the Navy increase the speed and efficiency of the maintenance process has a direct impact on U.S. and global security. We’re proud to support this vital mission with mature technology that has been tested and approved by leaders across the Navy.”

Gecko also has a contract with the U.S. Air Force to develop robotic technology to assess the infrastructure of nuclear missile launch facilities.

Related:Ship-Scaling Robot Helps Navy Identify Structural Damage