Using Ground-based Autonomous Vehicles to Conduct Flightline FOD Inspections

Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on flight lines poses a significant threat to aircraft and personnel, with the USAF incurring approximately $240 million in costs from FOD-related incidents between 1995 and 2004. Traditional FOD mitigation methods, such as walkdowns and vehicle sweeping, are manpower-intensive and not always effective. Polymath Robotics proposes an innovative solution to this critical issue by automating existing DAF vehicles for FOD sweeping to create a “Roomba for the flight line,” enabling automated sweeping and improving safety while saving valuable airmen time.