Artificial intelligence software developer Palladyne AI Corp (NASDAQ: PDYN, PDYNW) announced on Wednesday that it has received additional funding from the U.S. Air Force under its ongoing contract with the Air Logistics Complex at Warner Robins Air Force Base.

The company also announced the successful completion of key Military Utility Assessment milestones for autonomous sanding and media blasting on complex aircraft components.

These developments form part of a multi-million-dollar Phase II contract under the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) initiative, awarded through the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX AFVentures innovation program. Now in its second year, the potential four-year agreement supports the validation of Palladyne IQ software for robotic remediation tasks on military aircraft.

Milestone achievements include autonomous media blasting using a Fanuc M710 robot with seven degrees of freedom on a linear rail, and automated sanding using a Universal Robots UR10e with a compliant end effector. Both tasks were powered by Palladyne IQ, enabling high precision, simplified operation and enhanced control.

Palladyne AI's edge-based AI platform equips robotic systems with adaptive intelligence, allowing them to autonomously respond to dynamic environments with minimal training and data input. Applications span aviation, defence, manufacturing, logistics and autonomous vehicle sectors.