US Navy Embraces Robots and AI for Vessel Maintenance

The U.S. Navy is partnering with Gecko Robotics to leverage robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) for enhanced fleet maintenance and readiness.

The collaboration will see the Navy implement wall-climbing robots and AI to streamline maintenance, reduce delays, and extend the service life of its ships and submarines.

“We’re proud to grow our partnership with the Navy around keeping ships in the fight and increasing the pace of production on the Columbia,” said Jake Loosararian, co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics, referring to the Columbia-class submarine program.

“Making sure the brave men and women of the have the tools they need to perform their vital missions safely and effectively is the perfect example of what our team wakes up every morning focused on.” 

Gecko promises significant reductions in through the use of its technology. The company also anticipates improving data analytics to detect defects in defensive structures, thereby enhancing vessel integrity.

Gecko claims its robots can capture 4.2 million data points, significantly exceeding the “less than 100 data points” collected through traditional methods on critical defense structures.

Loosararian founded Gecko Robotics in 2013, building upon a college project. In 2012, while studying at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, he developed his first robot to address an engineering professor’s challenge related to . The robot was subsequently donated to the plant and used for several years.

Loosararian later redesigned the hardware to create the robots for his company, investing his savings into Gecko. After going through several co-founders and working without pay for a period, he gained traction with his new projects.

Gecko began its partnership with the U.S. Navy in 2023, primarily focusing on for ships and submarines. The company experienced a 400% increase in its work during 2024. In the near future, it will extend its operations to aircraft carriers and begin collecting detailed data on the health of the Navy’s vessels.

“That data is then fed into Gecko’s AI-powered operations platform, Cantilever, to help substantially reduce growth work, maintenance timelines and help the ships get back to sea faster,” the company stated in its press release. 

“The new deals cement Gecko’s role in building and maintaining critical defense assets that support both national and global security,” the release continued. “It also makes the U.S. Navy a pioneer in using the very latest technology to reduce delays and unexpected maintenance for its fleet — a challenge faced by countries around the world.”

ant