The U.S. Navy has made a significant stride in enhancing its fleet maintenance capabilities by signing the largest robotics contract to date. Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics, known for its innovative robots and sensors designed for inspecting large industrial assets, has entered into a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) agreement with the Navy and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The deal begins with an initial funding of $54 million, with a potential total value of $71 million.
Under this agreement, Gecko's advanced robots and sensors will be deployed to assess the condition and operational readiness of Navy assets, starting with 18 vessels from the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Gecko's founder and CEO, Jake Loosararian, emphasized that the robots will navigate through every corner of the ships, creating a comprehensive digital representation, or "digital twin," of each vessel. This digital model will enable the Navy to monitor asset health and suggest maintenance proactively, aiming to prevent issues before they develop and to minimize downtime and costs.
Loosararian explained, "By creating a digital representation of the condition of these assets, we can significantly speed up decision-making and repair processes. Our goal is to build a dynamic model that reduces the time these vessels spend out of service." This initiative aligns with the Navy's ambitious target of achieving 80% ship readiness by 2027, as currently, around 40% of the fleet is unavailable at any moment due to lengthy maintenance cycles.
The financial implications are substantial; Loosararian noted that maintenance costs could range between $13 billion and $20 billion annually. "In a time when every asset counts, this is crucial. Our ships are aging, and efficient maintenance is essential for operational readiness," he added.
Gecko Robotics has been collaborating with the Navy for four years, initially prompted by an inquiry from a port engineer in Japan. Following an evaluation and the development of a preventative maintenance plan, the partnership flourished, culminating in this landmark agreement.
Loosararian envisions a future where maintenance cycles are a thing of the past: "We aim to ensure that critical assets operate optimally without unnecessary downtime. My vision is to know precisely what needs fixing while the ships are deployed, whether they are military assets or power plants."