Air Force Develops Robot Blacksmith for Spare Parts Production.

The Air Force has successfully tested a robot prototype, nicknamed AI-FORGE, that uses artificial intelligence to forge aircraft parts. Developed in partnership with The Ohio State University, the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, CapSen Robotics, and Yaskawa Motoman, the robot was able to operate autonomously and complete the task in a taxing environment. The system could help the Air Force acquire specific auxiliary components and tools required to support missions and reproduce even the most complicated aircraft parts. Robot blacksmiths may be able to help close the gap in the labor shortage in trade skills such as metal fabrication.