AI and ML tech to automate U.S. Navy maintenance
NewsAugust 27, 2020
WASHINGTON and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Google Cloud and Simple Technology Solutions (STS) — a Google Cloud partner and small business specializing in multi-cloud solutions for the federal government — announced they are working with the U.S. Navy to modernize the maintenance and repairs inspection process for Navy vessels and facilities.
STS will use Google Cloud artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies on inspection drone-captured images to detect, prioritize, and predict its maintenance needs. The work was awarded to STS as a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project due to the technology innovation and potential for commercialization.
According to officials, the U.S. Navy currently spends billions per year on maintaining and repairing its fleet of vessels and other platforms like aircraft and facilities. It is a largely manual, labor-intensive process.
STS will aim to train Google Cloud AI and ML models on tens of thousands of images to identify corrosion as part of the first phase with the Navy. Using imagery and Google AI/ML technologies, STS will seek to reduce the labor burden and safety risk associated with maintenance inspections.
