Voice-Directed Inspection Maintenance System (VIMS) – Phase II

Voice-Directed Inspection Maintenance System (VIMS) – Phase II

NCMS Project #: 140862

Problem: Based on results at Honeywell and other commercial companies, there appears to be a great opportunity to expand the use of voice-directed technologies like Vocollect™ into inspection, maintenance and sustainment communities nationwide for immediate productivity gains, which includes the Department of Defense (DoD). This eliminates outdated back and forth manual data entry and look-up time on a laptop, handheld device, or paper forms.

Benefit: VIMS positively impacts the public through reduced product costs and quicker turnaround times of consumer products. Accuracy of inspection data will result in safer products being maintained throughout their lifecycle. Additionally, VIMS offers expedited inspection results with consistent, accurate data to the planners allowing advanced notice for long lead parts orders. VIMS is expected to become an integral data collection source to predict future condition-based maintenance requirements.

Solution/Approach: The objective of the VIMS is to demonstrate that maintainers and inspection/repair technicians are able to optimize their time and skills to intake, inspect, and repair commercial and military assets for commercial operation or combat readiness using a voice-directed, hands-free, eyes-free system for inspection, data collection and real/near-time entry into existing systems of record, eliminating existing, outdated paper check lists and RF scanning systems.

Phase II will complete a Benefit Cost Analysis of VIMS vs. conventional data capture of selected systems piloted in Phase I. It will also confirm that data output from Phase I can be effectively integrated into Air Force Data Management Systems including meting IT requirements for cybersecurity.

Impact on Warfighter:

  • Reduced maintenance and lifecycle costs
  • Accurate and trackable inspections
  • Reliable maintenance data collections

DoD Participation:

  • U.S. Air Force (Warner Robins)
  • Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Product Support Engineering Division
  • U.S. Air Force (Ogden ALC) observer
  • U.S. Air Force (Oklahoma City ALC) observer

Industry Participation:

  • Honeywell Sustainability and Productivity Solutions
  • NCMS

Technology Focus Area(s):

  • Cost savings
  • Repair turnaround time
  • Maintenance management improvement