ARM Institute earns $87M agreement with the Air Force Research Lab - The Robot Report

The ARM Institute has secured a new five-year cooperative agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), valued at a combined $87.66 million including government funding and ARM Institute cost share. Under this agreement, the ARM Institute will conduct research, development, testing, and evaluation to advance dual-use robotics and automation technologies that benefit the U.S. Air Force. The Pittsburgh-based consortium, which includes over 450 members from industry, academia, and government, aims to enhance robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence accessibility for U.S. manufacturers, strengthen the workforce, and bolster national security and economic competitiveness. The agreement facilitates collaboration between the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and the ARM Institute’s consortium through project calls focused on key technology areas such as robotic mobility, multi-robot and multi-human teaming, process modeling, monitoring, control, advanced visualization, scalability, and manufacturing process informatics. The ARM Institute’s approach emphasizes dual-use systems development, involving non-traditional suppliers to address defense