Carnegie Mellon University awarded $10.5M Army contract to study aircraft flaws

© CMU Auton Lab

Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Auton Lab recently signed a three-year, $10.5 million U.S. Army contract to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to provide early warning of emerging aircraft flaws and eventually apply this knowledge to other predictive maintenance, including medicine.

The Army hopes AI can be used to solve problems associated with complex devices, including combat and non-combat equipment. It also aims to make this AI approach more accessible for various public and private applications.

“The idea behind this is to take the AI capabilities to the next level,” Artur Dubrawski, CMU’s Robotics Institute alumni research professor of computer science and Auton Lab director, said.

Researchers will address gaps in knowledge and technology. Work also will be performed at Georgia Tech Research Institute, the University of South Carolina, and the University of California.

The Pittsburgh-based U.S. Army AI Integration Center will coordinate the application of the developed technology in military equipment maintenance.

AI relies heavily on statistical techniques, which can limit its applications, particularly in medicine. The researchers will need to use AI techniques based on logical reasoning. To accomplish this, Dubrawski is collaborating with clinicians in intensive and emergency care.

A priority is to develop methods of capturing human expertise.