Manufacturing Research for Digital Utilization (MARDU)

Amendment 1-Updated to add a revised CDRL attachment and the SOO to detail the changes in the CDRL package.

Emerging tools across a variety of digital platforms promise to revolutionize the state-of-the-art in manufacturing practice. The intersection of automation through advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, data acquisition & sensorization, industrial visualization, edge-to-cloud computing, and human-machine teaming offers a rich solution set for delivering the future factory. However, the development and integration of these disparate technologies remains a significant challenge, requiring both fundamental and applied research activities. The objective of this effort is to perform research and development to advance the state-of-the-art in digital manufacturing of interest to the USAF. The technical scope includes the broad categories of human-machine teaming, machine intelligence, and human-machine trust. This research program will develop, mature, and deliver fundamental knowledge and technical solutions for digital manufacturing challenges of interest to the Air Force in close working collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Digital Manufacturing Research Team (DMRT). A critical aspect of this effort is the execution of on-site research within the DMRT's laboratory facilities in support of advancing the state-of-the-art in digital manufacturing. In pursuing this work, the contractor will require base support, and be developing both software and hardware in executing the research. Additionally, the contractor will be assisting with the maintenance and upgrade of systems as needed within the DMRT's laboratory facilities.