Gecko Robotics to Help Increase Speed of the Columbia-class Nuclear Submarine Manufacturing Process

Awarded initial contract to bring advanced manufacturing capabilities and create a maintenance baseline for weld inspections for U.S. Navy program

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gecko Robotics, a leader in using advanced robotics and software to decode the built world, today announced a new demonstration contract with the U.S. Navy to help modernize the manufacturing process for the $132 billion Columbia-class nuclear submarine program. Gecko will use its advanced weld inspection and data capabilities to help the Navy decrease inspection time and reduce costs during the manufacturing process, while also providing a baseline of data to improve in-service maintenance cycles.

“We are proud to grow our partnership with the U.S. Navy beyond helping get ships through the maintenance process faster, to providing advanced manufacturing capabilities for the Columbia-class program,” said Jake Loosararian, CEO and Co-founder of Gecko Robotics. “Demand from customers for more data on the front-end of the manufacturing process to help implement better predictive maintenance is growing - and we’re looking forward to starting this work with the Columbia sub program.”

Under the new contract -- executed with BlueForge Alliance, a nonprofit integrator supporting the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Industrial Base -- the Navy will incorporate Gecko’s robotic digital weld inspections to assess the integrity of welds during the manufacturing process. Digitizing weld inspection results will transform a key manufacturing process for the Columbia-class program, freeing up the skilled workforce for higher value tasks and eliminating the risk of unknown weld conditions. The goal of this project will be to validate the return on investment of Gecko’s weld inspection process throughout several tiers of the Columbia-class supply chain.

Watch the latest video showcasing how Gecko Robotics’ advanced technology is modernizing the construction process of the Columbia-class submarines here.

About Gecko Robotics

Gecko Robotics is helping the world’s most important organizations ensure the availability, reliability, and sustainability of critical infrastructure. Gecko has contracts with the United States Navy to speed maintenance cycles for surface ships, and the United States Air Force to rapidly assess the condition of ICBM launch facilities as part of the Sentinel program. Gecko’s complete and connected solutions combine wall-climbing robots, industry-leading sensors, and an AI-powered data platform to provide customers with a unique window into the current and future health of their physical assets. This provides unprecedented insights, enabling decision advantage and increasing readiness to ensure mission success. For more information about Gecko Robotics please visit www.geckorobotics.com.