Automation and robotics are tools that can help improve jobs/processes that can be dangerous to humans.  The robotics industry has excelled in developing solutions to dull, dirty, and/or dangerous tasks, removing humans from these types of potentially harmful work exposures.  The robotics industry has created new job opportunities around robotic teaching and solution development which allow humans to utilize their capability of thought, while the robot completes a physical task.  With bases under pressure to find personnel to meet job demands, robotics and automation can help address this shortfall.  Robotics and automation are also well suited for providing extended work hours without adding a larger workforce – essentially one robot for three daily work shifts.

Yes, but more work is needed to optimize this capability. Every application is designed with a cached mode which allows them to locally store data and activity logging when disconnected from a remote cloud server.  When reconnected, the cached data syncs with the remote cloud server.  The RSO is investigating the problem and design space to optimize these disconnected operations with deployable edge server boxes that could locally host applications/data. 

 

Robotics have been integrated into manufacturing and handling environments for many years.  Commercial industry has been leading efforts to fully incorporate automation and robotics for many years, with the Department of Defense recently accelerating adoption efforts.  Many new commercial use cases are being tested around autonomous transportation, drone applications, artificial intelligence recognition of items, automated testing, and much more. 

Currently, the organization that is operating the system is responsible for its sustainment.  Unfortunately, this can result in work duplication, similar systems without common parts, and heavy dependence on local operators who may not be fully trained on the system.  Some organizations are more advanced in how they address support, but they are still locally focused.  The RSO recognizes this need and is working to coordinate robotic discussions to leverage a central robotics organization that maintains revision control, along with vetting of proposed robotic needs against a known solution set.  The RSO has also submitted a proposed solution to the central management need in response to the DODI 5000.94 input request released in 2022.

BLADE is a data lake that pulls non-real time data from various systems and makes it accessible to perform analytics to gather trending type insights.  The Lighthouse Integration Technology Engine (LITE) is not a data lake.  Instead, it is a hub, creating transactional connective tissue between these various systems that allow for real time push-pull interactions between the systems.  Using industry best practices Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), these reusable connections streamline user data input, create optimized activity workflows, and enhance decision advantage.