We develop decision support systems for a range of security platforms including air and ground vehicles, personnel protection equipment such as helmets and body armor, and civil infrastructure like nuclear power plants to ensure equipment availability and safety while reducing lifecycle costs. We have developed and deployed a number of decision support solutions working with partners in the U.S. Department of Defense. Our measurement systems employ advanced full-field sensing strategies and nonlinear data analysis techniques while our predictive modeling tools are based on powerful probabilistic methods that account for uncertainties in equipment and operational environment.

For example, modern aircraft employ redundancies in their flight control systems to ensure that they are fully capable in the event of an emergency. However, aircraft are often deployed on long missions that result in excessive wear and tear on components such as the gaskets deep inside the flight control actuators.  We have developed an intelligent control system technology that “listens” to the health of the aircraft and then adjusts the way the aircraft operates to reduce the potential for excessive damage.  This technology has been shown to increase the service life of the aircraft resulting in increased availability, which could have a significant impact on both defense and commercial aviation.

Illustration of hypothetical component inside aircraft that may experience wear and tear over the course of a mission.

Click to see video: Aircraft actuator degrades causing intelligent control system to adjust flight path to reduce further damage while on mission.

Click to see video: Comparison of how an aircraft with and without this intelligent control technology degrades over time showing an extension in the life of the aircraft.