The US Air Force has contracted Palladyne AI Corp. to extend its high-power autonomous surface blasting work for advanced aircraft components.
The project supports the military’s adoption of “media blasting,” an advanced finishing and sanding for complex aircraft parts with the aid of robotic systems.
Part of the agreement is the Utah-based company’s deployment of its flagship “Palladyne IQ,” an AI and machine learning-enabled autonomy software providing “human-like reasoning capabilities” for industrial and collaborative machines.
The initial deal for this effort was awarded to the firm in October 2024 under the Strategic Funding Increase innovation program, which utilizes emerging tools to maintain air force asset readiness.
Supporting Media Blasting Work in Georgia
Media blasting uses materials with varying abrasive grades to refine, repaint, clean, prepare, or inspect a surface while maintaining its quality.
In the military, the method is usually applied to maintain hard-to-reach areas or curved surfaces of an aircraft or vehicle.
For its air force contract, Palladyne’s IQ software is integrated into the Fanuc M710 robotic arm, which can facilitate precise media blasting, and the Universal Robots UR10. This collaborative system is used for controlled sanding.
The AI software and robotics arms are in operation at the Warner Robins Base’s Air Logistics Complex in Georgia, a center tasked with depot-level engineering, sustainment, and software development missions supporting tactical planes, airborne weapon systems, and special forces aircraft.
“Through our work with the US Air Force, we are making significant strides with the Palladyne IQ software and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with robotic automation,” Palladyne AI President and CEO Ben Wolff stated.
“These recent Military Utility Assessment milestones, combined with the additional funding we have received for the project, demonstrate not only the technical feasibility but also the operational value of our AI software to help automate a variety of complex and variable tasks for Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex.”
