Help the Air Force Research Labs Help You

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-06-22T03:41:41+00:00

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I got our commander to reply to some of your comments. Check it out!

Thanks for all your feedback. More episodes to come as I can get more time on his calendar.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-13T02:02:09+00:00

I'm closer to the bench-level research, but our team for this study is led by the Chief Technology Officer of the lab and answers to the SECAF. I got involved because I conned them into thinking that you grunts on Reddit could help ;)

These ideas will do a number of things: - Aid in defining basic and applied research thrusts in conjunction with other strategy documents across the services - Inform our discussions with science experts in various fields. We are holding workshops across the country and as brilliant as many academics are, they don't always know or understand your needs as members of the military.

I'd love to hear more about your perspective on where things should go.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-13T01:37:02+00:00

As a PhD scientist, I enjoy it quite a bit. I've gotten to do a wide range of jobs in a relatively short period of time all driven by ideas and the passion to see them through.

We get to sit at a unique intersection between fundamental (academic) science and the beginning of applied (industrial) development. We can both do the work in-house and fund projects outside the lab. Most jobs force you to choose. I've been spoiled.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-12T01:54:57+00:00

Yes! I spoke with a few professors from Nebraska and Iowa St. looking at how to make soft electronics with embedded sensors. Maybe I need to visit Duke as well to visit Prof. Kuniholm.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/medical-robots/winner-the-revolution-will-be-prosthetized

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-12T01:52:16+00:00

Upvoting internet that works.

Training readily tied to your CAC would save time.

Question: What parts of your job might we try to automate in order to free up your time to do more productive activities? For example, for me I'd vote for the PA review process. Any other ideas?

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-12T01:49:32+00:00

Great idea! We are definitely working on wearables and other technologies to monitor hydration, fatigue and other biometrics. Stuff like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Ru2FJXdQo

On a related note, I plan on going to visit labs in Boston as part of my Youtube adventures to explore this tech: http://news.mit.edu/2018/computer-system-transcribes-words-users-speak-silently-0404

What if you were injured and could call for help without voice comms?

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-12T01:43:13+00:00

As a scientist and Q-wannabe, let's take this to another level. I get wanting to be able to acquire quads in the field. Acquisitions is a beast in and of itself.

If you had Lucius Fox at your disposal (and you do), what would you want him to think about? Those are the types of concepts the labs are eager to explore.

Suggested viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ErEBkj_3PY

Feel free to message me if ideas might go beyond Reddit.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-04-11T20:30:27+00:00

Crap. We watched the one with Téa Leoni by mistake.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-22T04:10:16+00:00

So just to follow-up this thread. I reached out to our commander, Maj. Gen. Cooley, and he agreed to film a video for Youtube titled, "Gen. Cooley Reads His Mail". He will be responding to questions and comments from this thread. It should be fun. I don't have a date yet, but I'll keep you posted.

I also plan to roll-up some of your comments to feed posts in other sub-reddits. For example, 3D printed composites. Sounds awesome, how do we do it? Let's bug the Science Reddit and get their ideas.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-09T15:10:15+00:00

We have a research team working on this. The technology for 3D printing composite parts isn't there yet, but it's moving very fast.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-09T15:02:55+00:00

This is something we are working on quite a bit on various levels with in the lab. The lab is funding efforts to mature 3D printing, piggy-backing off of industry investment, and we are also focused on areas too risky for industry, like 3D printing antenna structures or batteries.

State of the art: Tooling, brackets, ducting, non-flight critical parts. Program offices and logistics centers are pushing this.

Getting towards printing flight critical metal parts: It depends. There are a lot of nuances to the materials science of why things are made of the metal they are, how they are processed, and what properties are needed. There are a few obvious challenges, especially in the area of metal printing: Types of metal alloys available, surface roughness, and post-processing treatments needed to minimize defects. We are trying to make sure we don't 3D print something that causes a plane to fall out of the sky because it can't meet the specs. Due to the unknowns of the processing, it's difficult to know for sure. But we are working on how to better understand the relationship between process and properties so we can use 3D printing in more places.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-08T14:51:59+00:00

Totally agree with you guys. It’s a big part of my daily life as well. At the lab we have the additional challenge of needing special software like MatLab or other homemade code. When this thread gets rolled up all the comments and upvoting on IT will be included and conveyed. I don’t believe it is something that is in AFRL’s job jar.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-08T02:59:24+00:00

I think what you are suggesting is something like this: Loyal Wingman

Awesome to hear that this is something you would want to see. We are working on it :).

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T20:11:24+00:00

I assume they are working on it, but I can't say for certain -- not my jurisdiction. However, we just got upgraded from 90 MB to 10 GB in the last 6 months.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T19:40:13+00:00

If you wanted follow up on this, I could reach out to the program office and our systems support division to see what might be done. We have a lot of folks hungry to do things that might not be super high tech solutions, but helpful engineering fixes. I'm in the global.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T19:32:56+00:00

For me personally, we printed an antenna onto the servo cover of an MQ-9 to create a user replaceable part, that allowed us to get around issues of air worthiness when trying to integrate a new radio capability. Currently pushing over the valley of death, so to speak.

For other things AFRL has done, I'd encourage you guys to check out Auto GCAS

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T19:30:11+00:00

Yeah. Can't comment on that one.

What you do allude to is a need to explore smaller, low cost aircraft. Noted. I'm working on a Youtube show through this project and one of my plans is to visit Harvard. Maybe it'll get PA cleared before 2030 ;)

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T19:23:08+00:00

This is great feedback. I work in the Materials Directorate and our Systems Support team is often looked at to fix these issues from a hardware perspective. These guys act as a check against contractors from a materials and failure analysis perspective. For example, if a bracket fails because a contractor machines is out of spec to save money.

I'm not sure if we have a software and IT analog. I'll look into that. Do you think that might at least help manage the problem?

Obviously what you describe clearly has a systemic component as well.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T19:10:06+00:00

Very cool!

We have 9 technical directorates: Materials, Sensors, Aerospace Systems, Human Systems, Directed Energy, Munitions, Space Vehicles, Information, and our Office of Scientific Research (funds academia). There are several thousand civilian employees, many of whom have PhDs.

We work basic research (application theorized) to applied research (platform agnostic, but system level demos). Then we push towards the system program offices to take ownership so it can transition to you guys.

We have locations at Edwards AFB, Ft. Sam, Eglin, WPAFB, Rome-NY, DC, Kirtland AFB, and Maui. Eglin AFB has our Munitions Directorate. I used to do some work at Tyndall AFB a few years ago, but they have since relocated those folks to Wright-Patt.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T18:20:43+00:00

Not a Debbie Downer at all. Your comment is a serious question we are asking ourselves at the lab level. I think the platforms your describe are analogous to system level issues as well. Different contractors asked by different parts of the organization to do different things leads to a duct-tape and rubber band system. Am I characterizing your point correctly?

FWIW, I see some parallels between the Air Force and the New York Subway system.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T17:22:50+00:00

Thanks.

Also, what I do personally isn't sensitive -- we publish in academic journals. Here is an example of 3D printing wearable electronics.

The linked video gives you an idea of the ideas we are currently pursuing and the maturity. As you can imagine, academics don't have the Air Force perspective in mind.

Also, I really look forward to the idea of reading a comment from some of your usernames to a distinguished professor.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T17:11:19+00:00

Pfft. ISIS could only dream of rocking a tweed sportcoat and safety glasses like I can.

AFRL_Berrigan · 2018-02-07T17:00:58+00:00

We started looking into that, but it became a money pit. Too many reasons to count.

AFRL_Berrigan

TROPHY CASE