Dover Air Force Base (Dover AFB) and Kodiak Robotics, Inc. today announced that Kodiak has been awarded an AFWERX Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to develop autonomous vehicles for the Dover AFB flightline.
Flightline vehicles represent a natural fit for autonomous technology, given the structured driving environment and high demand for drivers. Through this SBIR Phase II, Kodiak and Dover AFB will also partner to identify the flightline vehicles best suited to automation. This SBIR contract demonstrates the Air Force’s growing interest in automation technology‘s potential to increase efficiency and safety.
The Air Force’s SBIR program, which is administered by AFWERX, is designed to help startups and small businesses adapt their civilian technology for Air Force use. Through this SBIR Phase II contract, Kodiak will partner with Dover AFB to adapt Kodiak’s solution to the needs of flightline vehicles, and validate the software in simulation. At the completion of the SBIR project, Kodiak will be eligible for a SBIR Phase III contract that will fund autonomous flightline vehicle deployment.
“Kodiak’s SBIR partnership with Dover AFB shows the flexibility of the Kodiak Driver to adapt to a wide range of deployment environments and customers,” said Don Burnette, Kodiak’s CEO. “We are excited to partner with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron to bring the benefits of autonomous technology to the flightline.”
