AI and Robotics Aim to Advance Submarine Production

Submarine production is a slow, manual process that requires long hours. Two tech companies aim to address the sluggish methods with a collaboration focused on boosting manufacturing in the U.S.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Gecko Robotics and Costa Mesa, California -based Anduril Industries announced a new partnership focused on modernizing shipbuilding. The deal involves smart software, advanced robotics, and automated testing to help build next-gen fleets of U.S. Navy vessels.

Advancing the Factory Floor

The collaboration centers on Anduril’s expansion plans, including Arsenal-2, a software-defined shipyard in Baltimore County, Maryland. The tech will also run at Anduril’s 160,000-square-foot facility in Orange County, California.

Gecko’s robotic technology helps inspect metal parts quickly. Working with defense partners in the past cut inspection times by up to 90%. According to Gecko, parts are approved faster without cutting corners on safety.

Additionally, implementing AI and robotics helps address a major labor shortage. Normally, inspecting complex ship parts requires years of specialized training. Now, Gecko’s software guides workers through the process, so people without prior testing experience can get up to speed in about an hour.

“The challenge facing our nation isn’t a lack of engineering talent or innovation; it’s industrial capacity,” said Troy Demmer, Co-Founder and President of Gecko Robotics. “For generations, shipbuilding has been constrained by manual processes, fragmented data, production bottlenecks, and a shortage of specialized labor. Together, Gecko and Anduril are redefining what shipbuilding looks like, using AI and robotics to embed expertise directly into the manufacturing process and enable faster, more scalable production.”

Tracking Parts for the Long Haul

The software tracks every part from the factory floor to active service, creating a long-term digital record. That data helps engineers predict when a ship will need repairs before something breaks down, saving time and money down the road.

“We are already embedding Gecko’s NDT technology into real production workflows at our Orange County protofactory and integrating it deeply with ArsenalOS,” said Bill Noderer, Anduril’s VP & General Manager, Shipbuilding. “This will reduce inspection wait times, give our inspectors better tools to do their jobs, and establish quality processes that we can bring to the Arsenal-2 shipyard in Maryland from day one.”