Robotic C-130 Clear Water Rinse System to Promote Aircraft Availability

Wilder Systems (WS) is an industrial solutions company that uses a Robots as a Service business model for military and commercial aircraft manufacturers and maintainers who require autonomous, precise robotics for depot, flightline, and factory operations. The technology concept proposed to solve AAC’s aircraft washing need combines WS’s experience with (1) precision aircraft spraying developed for F-16 washing with (2) our mobile high-precision drilling robot adapted for B-52 OML wash (3) advanced 3D part localization and dynamic path planning capabilities developed for Plastic Media Blasting at Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) to create a mobile, large robotic system to wash C-130 aircraft without modifying existing wash rack infrastructure. The solution is “of a type” meaning it is a pre-engineered configuration of controllers, actuators, and end effectors. Similar modifications have been proposed to customers for processing diverse commercial and military vehicles. Further adaptations to this solution would allow the systems to perform other common commercial processes such as de-icing, painting, polishing, sanding, and sealing thanks to the modular robot tool changer and workpiece handling system.  The 106th Rescue Wing identified the need for an autonomous clear water rinse system to alleviate the time-consuming manual process they are currently operating, and Wilder Systems has a suite of robotic systems that are capable of fulfilling this need. WS will adapt its WS9000 system that utilizes a COTS articulated boom lift (i.e. a Genie Lift) and turns it into a mobile robot by augmenting hydraulic pistons with linear encoders to feed the reverse kinematic model. WS will add its robot perception and coordinated motion control software described above to this hardware platform. The Genie Z80/60 articulated lift has proven to be a suitable platform to wash USAF aircraft, as demonstrated at Tinker Air Force Base in December 2024 by washing the horizontal stabilizer of a B-52, thanks to the platform’s long reach, rigidity, payload capacity, and relative ease of control system integration. WS would build on this development to make a new system that would take the lessons learned from this effort and apply them to the C-130 rinse application. This system will add a large tank to carry its supply of water and improve upon our path planning software to autonomously rinse the aircraft once the operator drives it into position.