Agile Wire Harness Manipulation and Installation Service for Unmanned Aerial Systems

The Department of the Air Force seeks a vendor to develop and demonstrate a modular, agile robotic manufacturing workcell capable of autonomously routing, aligning, inserting, and verifying flexible, non-rigid wire harnesses and electrical connectors. Designed as a Direct-to-Phase-II project for unmanned aerial systems and advanced munitions, the project scope requires transitioning a validated software and mechanical baseline into integrated production workcells evaluated at defense prime contractor sites. The offsite work must eliminate hard-tooled automation, adapt to non-rigid part behavior, operate within tight physical footprint constraints, and establish an end-to-end digital thread. Eligible applicants are restricted to onshore, USA-only organizations, specifically small businesses that have completed Phase I feasibility research and retired early-stage conceptual risk to achieve a Technology Readiness Level 4 baseline. Applicants must submit feasibility justification, including formal engineering reports, test logs, laboratory datasets, and proof of an existing prototype. Deliverables include an integrated robotic workcell, full technical documentation, software source code, digital thread schema, and a final defense manufacturing facility demonstration. Proposal budgets are requested, and the projected Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirement is Level 2 (Self).