Technology Title
AI-Powered Autonomous Blast and Inspection for DoW Sustainment
Tech Focus Area
Coatings and Corrosion Prevention
Abstract
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul of naval vessels depends on surface preparation and inspection processes unchanged for decades. Manual blasting under hazardous conditions, subjective visual inspection, and hand-recorded quality data create bottlenecks that slow maintenance cycles, strain a shrinking skilled workforce, and reduce fleet availability. GrayMatter Robotics (GMR) eliminates these constraints through an autonomous robotic blast and inspection system purpose-built for Navy MRO.
GMR’s approach is grounded in its AI-powered Scan-Plan-Act-Verify framework, which enables geometry-agnostic automation without preprogramming. The system scans any part geometry, generates optimal blast toolpaths, executes with precision, and verifies quality inline, all autonomously. No offline programming. No part-specific teaching. No operator PPE cycles between runs. The result is a closed-loop process that adapts to the high-mix, low-volume part variability that has historically made robotic blasting impractical in defense sustainment.
GMR’s Scan&Blast solution integrates three validated capabilities into a single autonomous cell. Autonomous blast cleaning achieves 100% near-white metal finish to SSPC SP10 standards across complex geometries. Inline computer-vision inspection detects surface stains, maps non-conforming areas in 3D, and triggers selective re-blast without human intervention. Robot-mounted laser profilometry measures and records surface roughness to specification, producing a fully digital, traceable quality record compliant with NAVSEA Standard 009-32, replacing the manual Testex burnishing tape process entirely.
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Validated through a government-sponsored program and demonstrated to NAVSEA sponsors in April 2026, the system delivered a 34% cycle time improvement over manual blasting on representative steel components while achieving full SSPC SP10 quality and automated inspection documentation. The cell is self-contained, requiring only floor space and standard 480VAC power, designed for straightforward installation at any DoW maintenance site.
GMR’s software and services ecosystem sustains operational performance at scale. GMR-Guardian continuously monitors robotic cells for disruptions, adapting in real time to maintain uptime. GMR-Insights transforms production data into actionable intelligence on throughput and quality. GMR-Care provides around-the-clock remote and onsite support, ensuring autonomous production delivers sustained value across the full operational lifecycle, not just at commissioning.
Blasting and inspection are throughput-limiting functions across the maritime industrial base. GMR’s autonomous system removes the labor constraint, eliminates inspection subjectivity, and creates the digital quality infrastructure modern DoW sustainment demands. With TRL-9 technology proven across more than 50 deployed cells and 30 million square feet of processed surface, GMR is ready to bring that same performance to Navy shipyards.
