Awarded Sept 27, 2022

ARCS Aviation is pleased to announce we have been awarded an SBIR Phase III contract by the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (AFRSO). This contract will enable ARCS, over the next two years, to commercialize our Paint ScannAR system, meet cybersecurity requirements, develop new features for users, and implement the system at a second major Air Force maintenance location. Interested Government customers can now purchase the ARCS Paint ScannAR system on a sole source basis, provided the purchase derives from, extends, or completes this SBIR effort and is funded with non-SBIR funds.

This award was made possible by the efforts of the ARCS technical team in developing a functional prototype in Phase II, the ARCS business development team, all of ARCS’ support and enablement staff, our end users at Warner Robins ALC, and the program and contracting folks at AFRSO who treated ARCS well and executed this process in a fair, friendly manner. AFRSO’s support for innovative small businesses who can solve Air Force maintainer challenges has made a difference for ARCS and many other companies, while enhancing Air Force readiness. ARCS looks forward to leveraging this contract into commercial sales and has already started that process.

ABOUT Paint ScannAR: The system integrates commercial Augmented Reality technology with a third-party paint thickness scanner to present results with data-rich icons within the user’s field of view, tagging the data in the 3D space, showing problems in real-time, and saving results for later review and analysis. Other existing features include digitally tagging observed paint defects such as drips and orange peel, presenting results on a tablet-based digital twin, and presenting feedback to painters on hand speed and distance to target while painting. Future features include providing 3D overlays for sealant and masking materials, adding additional aircraft, and developing an API for new integrations.

ABOUT ARCS Aviation: Founded in Cookeville, TN in 2012 by a retired pilot, ARCS Aviation develops technology-based solutions for pilots and maintainers. Systems include a wide range of training and operations technologies, from courseware to interactive multimedia instruction and technical manuals to virtual and augmented reality. ARCS is a certified HUBZone small business.

ABOUT AFRSO: The RSO (Rapid Sustainment Office) increases mission readiness and capabilities by identifying, applying, and scaling technology and innovative solutions to advance and modernize sustainment operations of the United States Air Force. Visit https://www.afrso.com/ to learn more.

Aviation Resources and Consulting Services (ARCS Aviation) is pleased to announce we have been awarded a SBIR Phase II Matching Fund. On October 5th, Launch Tennessee (LaunchTN) unveiled the full list of this year’s SBIR/STTR Matching Fund grant recipients and we are thrilled to share this news publicly. Each company received an initial competitive federal grant to accelerate innovation.

This Matching Fund is an initiative within the state of Tennessee to further advance the commercialization of innovation and job creation, and to encourage entrepreneurs and innovators within the tech industry. Launch Tennessee stated they received more than 60 applications to the SBIR/STTR Matching Fund this year; we are proud to have been chosen for this opportunity and look forward to witnessing the benefits of this grant within our industry!

Read the full LaunchTN Article Here!

We are proud to announce the launch of Ekanos, the next-generation e-book solution designed for aircraft maintenance technician training based on the complete FAA AMT-ACS Curriculum!

Unlike conventional training materials, Ekanos eBooks feature interactive and engaging features for the students! Ekanos eBooks contain animations such as aircraft engines functioning, hydraulic system schematics operating, and so much more. In addition, the reader can perform virtual practices like using a maintenance tool and performing procedures and experiments, all within the e-book. Ekanos eBooks integrate these great simulations and interactive features into the text.

We have developed Ekanos so that aircraft maintenance training schools in the US have access to the best-in-class technology training medium that would interest the new generation of students and aid in making their training more accessible and practical. The curriculum of Ekanos has been developed and verified by experienced subject matter experts to ensure the most accurate portrayal and delivery of content.

Ekanos has complete courses, including General, Airframe, and Powerplant, as per the FAA AMT-ACS curriculum.

In addition to the embedded simulation and interaction, if required by the end-users, Ekanos e-books can also offer ad hoc Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) activities. The Ekanos e-book solution and any additional AR/VR activities can be distributed entirely or modularly and accessed 24/7 on a PC or tablet.

ARCS Aviation has officially partnered with ATEC to ensure the best delivery of Ekanos to the aircraft maintenance training community. We are grateful for a great partnership with ATEC and look forward to seeing Ekanos in the hands of students, positively impacting the future generations of aircraft maintenance technicians!

Check out the Ekanos website to see a video demonstration of our eBooks!

Since the award of our Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) SBIR Awarded contract in the summer of 2020, ARCS Aviation has been working with Luna Innovations to integrate their scanning technology with the Extended Reality (XR) system we have been developing. The concept for our proposal is to combine the use of a scanner able to measure the thickness of different paint layers with Augmented Reality (AR) to deliver an unprecedented user experience for aircraft painting. The Luna T-Ray terahertz scanner provided the capability for us to obtain the essential data to make this system work, and we are pleased to have a great partnership with Luna.

Check out ARCS Aviation’s Partner Spotlight in the 2021 Fourth Quarter Newsletter to learn more about our integrated system.

The ARCS Aviation team worked with several organizations as well as our own business developer in 2019 and 2020 that helped contribute to our team’s success, winning four Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts to date. The University of Tennessee Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) played an instrumental role in ARCS Aviation’s success in forming partnerships with DoD agencies to provide solutions to contribute to US Air Force readiness enhancement.

Read the article here!

We are excited to announce that ARCS Aviation is one of eleven companies awarded a Phase II prototype project from the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office (RSO) 2020 Virtual Pitch Day! We look forward to helping reduce US Air Force aircraft maintenance downtime and advancing the Air Force’s operations and sustainment to increase overall mission readiness.

In late May, we submitted our feasibility statement. On July 28, 2020, we were able to present at the RSO Virtual Pitch Day, ultimately receiving news that ARCS Aviation received the Phase II Contract. Throughout this process, ARCS has worked with subject matter experts, end-users, and the Air Force RSO to develop a solution that will apply and scale technology essential to the United States Air Force’s operation and sustainment.

The ARCS Aviation team comprises subject matter experts who know this industry well and have a deep interest in using technology to improve efficiency, enhance competency, and ultimately save lives. We will be simultaneously integrating the latest cutting-edge technologies and innovations to problem-solve through our proposed plan while providing a practical solution for the Air Force.

We are looking forward to working with the Air Force RSO and are ready to be a part of the effort to take the progressive steps of bringing the future of technology into today’s world by injecting game-changing solutions into the sustainment enterprise.