PDAC: Submission #1233 | Dayton Development Coalition

Submission information

Project Details

1. To which Review Panel are you submitting your project? Defense

2. Project title Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed (VAM) Reality Readiness

3. Short description Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed (VAM) Reality offers a robust and cost-effective method for a non-expert maintainers to utilize robotics for USAF depot operations, improving efficiency and safety. This program will provide users, irrelevant of experience level, tools to utilize robotic systems effectively by providing intuitive guidance to ensure proper and effective usage. AI will allow for real-time assessment of performance and further increase adoption of robotic systems across USAF depots.

Organization Details

4. Organization making the request University of Dayton

5-8. Address 300 College Park Dr.
Dayton, Ohio. 45469

9. County Montgomery

10. Recipient organization same

11-14. Address {Empty}

15. County {Empty}

16. Organization type Non-profit

Organization Contact Details

17. Name Sukh Sidhu

18. Title Vice President for University of Dayton Research Institute

19. Organization University of Dayton

20. Telephone (937) 229-3605

21. Email ssidhu1@udayton.edu

22-25. Address 300 College Park Dr.
Dayton, Ohio. 45469

26. County Montgomery

27. Additional contacts Paul Henderson
University of Dayton Research Institute
(937) 229-2113
Paul.Henderson@udri.udayton.edu

Location Details

28. City Dayton and WPAFB

29. County Montgomery

30. Congressional district Ohio 10th

Financial Details

31. Funding request 8000000.00

32. Total Cost 20000000.00

33. Other sources of funds 12,000,000

34. How the funds will be used Planning or Studies

35. Do you have matching funds raised or committed? If yes, explain in question #36. If no, skip to question #37. Yes

36. If yes, please provide additional information. (Or, budget document can be uploaded, see question 37) We have been awarded 12,000,000 on an AFRL contract that UDRI and Bradley University researchers are preparing virtual/augmented reality plan for USAF depots to accelerate automation. This request is for phase 2 which is focused on implementation of these plans.

37. Budget No

38. By what date will you be ready to spend the funds Immediately

39. Programs/grants for which this project would qualify No

Community Details

40. Community Need Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) are tools that can develop inexperienced personnel into skilled, high performing maintainers in a fraction of the time and cost that conventional on-the-job training methods require. The AF is endeavoring to make use of rapidly advancing robotic systems but lack experience personnel to operate these systems. AR/VR, AI, and ML tools can cost-effectively expedite and streamline user requirements for operating these complex systems and rapidly increase their implementation and adoption within AF depot operations. This program aims to create a collaborative human-robot team, enhancing the efficiency and safety of deploying robots in depot operations by making the robots another tool in the maintainer’s workbench. We will focus on integrating non-expert users with robotics via an open-architecture platform, enabling a wide range of vendors to integrate existing and new robotic systems. This program will improve human-robot collaboration, enhance robotic accessibility and deployment, and boost maintenance personnel effectiveness while removing them from hazardous environments.

41. Previous Funding: Has the requesting organization received Congressionally earmarked funding in the past? If so, please provide a brief project description, year funded, amount, and Congressional sponsor. The results will be measured through the number of training systems developed, metrics of maintenance activities prior to and with new ARVR technologies, and ratings on perceived and actual maintenance performance.

42. Direct new jobs created 1 to 10

43. Existing jobs retained? 1 to 10

44. Sustained permanent jobs? 1 to 10

45. Please explain how you determined the job creation listed in questions 42-44. The team will immediately hire a new software developer and roboticist to assist with the development and implementation of ARVR technologies. As more devices and procedures are added to the training, this program could support up to 10 new jobs, 2 software engineers, 2 roboticists researchers, and 6 technicians.

46. Using your best guess, of the jobs created over the next 10 years, what will the average salary be? $75,001-$100,00

47. Is your project a workforce development program? Yes

48. If yes, does your program center on one of the ten JobsOhio targeted industries? Yes

Which industry? {Empty}

49. Counties in which jobs will be created Montgomery

Additional Details

50. Letters of endorsement, supporting materials, additional information. You can submit ONE PDF file that does not exceed 10 pages. {Empty}

51. Is there opposition to the project? No

52. Name of person filling out this form. Sukh Sidhu

53. Telephone number of person filling out this form. (937) 229-3605

54. Email of person filling out this form. This is where notification will be sent that the form was received. ssidhu1@udayton.edu

55. Do you want your project to be considered as a Community Project in the fiscal year 2025 –2026 State Capital Budget Bill? No

56. If your project type is on the list of ineligible projects (see above), please offer an explanation why your project could be eligible. If your project is not on the list, answer the question by stating that your project is not on the list of ineligible projects. {Empty}

57. Has your organization received state capital budget funding in the past? If so, provide a brief project description, year funded, and amount. {Empty}

58. Does your project have a connection with, or provide some benefit to, a state agency that has bonding authority? Please check all that apply from the following list: {Empty}

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