U.S. Navy to Deploy Robots for Ship Maintenance
March 16, Kathmandu — The United States Navy has signed its largest-ever contract with Pittsburgh-based Gekko Robotics to expedite the maintenance and upkeep of its warships.
According to the announcement released on Tuesday, the five-year contract is valued at $71 million.
In the initial phase, a budget allocation of $54 million has been made. The Navy plans to use these robots and sensors particularly to monitor the condition of 18 warships deployed in the Pacific region.
Jake Lusarian, founder of Gekko Robotics, explained that these robots will access every part of the ships to collect detailed data, which will then be used to create a “digital twin” of each vessel.
This technology will provide maintenance recommendations before problems arise, saving both time and costs. Currently, 40 percent of the U.S. Navy’s ships are out of service due to maintenance issues.
The Navy has set a target to keep 80 percent of its fleet ready at all times by 2027, with this robotics technology expected to prove a key milestone toward achieving that goal.
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