SoarTech hosted a successful demonstration of our JITMATE application at Northern Strike 24 in Oscoda, MI. From August 5 – August 15, SoarTech Scientists Dr. Jeff Craighead and Glenn Taylor participated in the National Guard training event “Northern Strike 24” to conduct test and evaluation as part of AFRL’s JITMMA/W (Just In Time Multi-Mission Airmen/Warfighters) program. One goal of Northern Strike was to illustrate the Air Force’s Agile Combat Environment (ACE) concept, here focused on quickly training up warfighters who have never refueled an aircraft before.

During this event, our team trained Airmen and Marines on the basics of hot-pit refueling a KC-135 with an R-11 fuel truck. SoarTech demonstrated our JITMATE application, a multi-modal chat-like agent that incorporates verbal- and gesture-based interactions to guide a user through a procedure while performing the task. JITMATE utilizes SoarTech’s Autonomous Virtual Assistant (AVA) and SpeechZero to present procedure content using different output modalities, including speech, text, graphics, and augmented reality.

Accelint fuels the collaboration of Forward Slope, Hypergiant, Highbury Defense, SIE, and SoarTech. Bringing together our expertise, innovation, and resources, we are accelerating intelligence around the world.

Learn more at www.accelint.com

SoarTech is proud to announce: SoarTech is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Accelint.

Accelint represents the strategic alliance of five esteemed industry leaders: Systems Innovation Engineering, SoarTech, Forward Slope, Highbury Defense Group and Hypergiant. This unification enables further collaboration across the brands for the delivery of heightened solutions to the United States and its allied partners.

“We could not be more excited to build upon the great legacies of FSI, Highbury Defense, Hypergiant, SoarTech and SIE,” says Mike Betzer, President of Accelint. “Each of these companies contributes a unique skill set that, when unified under our shared vision, has the capacity to change the world. Accelint represents a force for good for the United States and its allies.”

“As we step into this new chapter as part of Accelint, I am thrilled about the opportunities that lie ahead,” states Dylan Schmorrow, Ph.D., CEO and President. “At SoarTech, we have always been committed to pioneering AI solutions that empower our military’s capabilities. Now, under Accelint, that potential is magnified. This synergy is not just about growth; it’s about setting new benchmarks in AI and achieving unprecedented outcomes for the United States and its allies.”

Accelint plans to launch its new website this Summer 2024.

ABOUT ACCELINT:

Accelint is a unified organization powered by: Forward Slope, Highbury Defense Group, Hypergiant, SoarTech, and Systems Innovation Engineering. Fueled by the collaboration of 5 industry-leading companies and backed by over 20 years of experience, Accelint provides comprehensive AI-forward solutions designed to deliver the situational awareness, agility, and resilience necessary to maintain a decisive edge in increasingly complex environments. For more information on Accelint, please visit www.accelint.com or contact [email protected].

ABOUT SOARTECH:

At SoarTech, we recognize that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an essential force-multiplier for humans. Since our founding in 1998, our core mission has been to solve the most sophisticated problems faced by the military by supporting our warfighters with advanced AI solutions. Our technologies are developed to learn and adapt to new data and situations effectively and efficiently. We emphasize the development of AI solutions that can offer explanations, an essential ingredient for ensuring users trust in AI. We combine leading experts in research and engineering to develop unique, impactful solutions that save time, money, and lives. For more information about our AI solutions, visit www.SoarTech.com. www.siecompany.com.

Soar Tech is proud to sponsor the “Flying Toasters,” a FIRST Robotics Competition team from South Lyon, Michigan, for its second year.

FIRST, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,” is a global nonprofit (501(c)(3)) organization that inventor Dean Kamen established in 1989. FIRST seeks to introduce students, pre-K through 12th grade, to STEM studies through a set of inclusive, team-based robotics programs.

The student teams use a standard kit of parts and rules to design, program, and build a robot to perform a simple task – for example, throwing a ball into a goal – and then compete in themed contests against other teams. During competitions, they also cooperate in “alliances” with other teams. Other focuses of the program involve team members working to build their brands, develop community partnerships for support, and promote STEM education in their local communities.

The Flying Toasters, also known as Team 3641, began their 2024 season competing in Lake City, Michigan, in early March where they placed third during qualification, finished as finalists in the play-off tournament, and won the Engineering Excellence Award for their design process. Later that month, the Toasters competed in Livonia, Michigan, where their alliance finished in fourth place and they received the Autonomous Award that recognized the consistency and reliability of their high-performance robot operation during autonomously managed actions.

“We couldn’t be prouder of these kids’ accomplishments,” said Dylan Schmorrow, CEO of SoarTech. “The great thing about their participation in FIRST is that no matter what happens in the competition, they really can’t lose because of their enthusiasm for learning that the program encourages. The skills and knowledge that our ‘Toasters’ are gaining from their experiences are transforming them into competitive adults who have the tools to succeed in competitive fields, and we’re excited that SoarTech gets to be part of their evolution.”

The team’s next challenge will be the Michigan State Championship at Saginaw Valley State University from April 4 to April 6. Their performance will decide if they continue to the international level of competition in Houston, Texas, which begins April 17.

Nikunj Sharma joined SoarTech in November as a software engineer. Nikunj earned his bachelor’s degree at Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology in India and his interest in artificial intelligence is what led him to SoarTech.

“SoarTech was into AI way before these kids found it cool in a figure of speech,” he laughed. “I knew the opportunity and growth with this company I wouldn’t find anywhere else. SoarTech was the best option for me, and I hope I bring the best for the company.”
When it comes to working at SoarTech, so far, Nikunj said it’s the people at SoarTech that are his favorite thing. “Everyone has been so nice to me and helpful. I love coming into work.”

His interest in AI is not new. Since he was a kid, he had an interest in the field. “When I was young, I wanted to be a gamer because I play games amazingly well, but that didn’t work out so well,” he joked. “I have to use my brains someplace better, so what better field than AI?”

When Nikunj isn’t at SoarTech working on AI projects, he spends most of his free time getting to know his new community. “I just settled in just a couple of months ago, so when I’m not at the office, I’m figuring out dinner or talking to my family back in India. My hobbies back in India were cricket, going to the gym and swimming, so maybe I will continue those here.”

SoarTech, a leader in AI-driven solutions, has secured a $31 million Phase III Small Business Innovation Research contract to develop and deliver cutting-edge virtual, adaptive training for the U.S. Navy Basic Electricity and Electronics (BEE) school. This initiative is part of the Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL) initiative aimed at modernizing the Navy’s institutional training system.

The project, sponsored by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, will see SoarTech collaborating with Integration Innovation Inc. (i3) to integrate the SoarTech Adaptive Training Services into the virtual training suite (VTS), a powerful learning environment that facilitates high-fidelity, interactive, 3D simulations of defense electronic systems.

Brian Stensrud, Ph.D., SoarTech’s director of training and simulation, said, “SoarTech is incredibly pleased to have the opportunity to help the Navy modernize its training curriculum for our future sailors. Combining our Adaptive Training Services and advanced AI techniques with the VTS platform results in an incredibly powerful tool that has the potential to significantly enrich and expedite the Navy’s entire training portfolio.”

The Navy teaches BEE for surface engineering rates in apprentice technical training (ATT), which is delivered between boot camp and accession training, commonly known as A school. Vital to a sailor’s success in A school and on-the-job training are the fundamental knowledge and skills acquired in ATT. These lay the groundwork for understanding and applying many A school learning objectives.

Key highlights of the project include:

• Comprehensive Training Package: SoarTech and i3 will develop and deliver a complete virtual training package comprising 34 training modules, covering the entire BEE curriculum.

• RRL Initiative Support: The initiative aligns with the Navy’s RRL initiative, emphasizing the importance of modernizing training methods to prepare sailors for success in school and on the job.

• Adaptive Training Integration: SoarTech’s Adaptive Training Services will be integrated into the VTS platform, providing an AI-powered capability that guides students through courseware, tailoring content and feedback to individual needs. This ensures a more effective and efficient learning experience, producing better-prepared sailors at a faster and more cost-effective rate.

With these tools, RRL can help address important challenges in ATT by delivering advanced curriculum, software-based courseware and attendant materials.

This contract represents a significant stride toward ensuring that sailors are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for A school and future job tasks. SoarTech remains dedicated to pioneering advancements in training methodologies and contributing to the Navy’s commitment to RRL.

In early August, SoarTech welcomed Dr. Joseph Cohn to our team as Director of X. Joseph had a 24-year career in the United States Navy, where he served as an aeromedical officer holding a range of research, development and acquisition positions across the Navy and Department of Defense.

Joseph earned his BS in biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, complemented with “a lot of extra math courses.” He completed his Ph.D. in neuroscience at Brandeis University, under the guidance of Dr. Jim Lackner.

“My research focused on using visual illusions to disrupt the planning and control of movement, providing a framework for understanding how perception of information though different sensory modalities can influence decision making and action,” Joseph explained.

He completed his post-doctoral work at Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, under Drs. J.A. Scott Kelso and Betty Tuller, applying non-linear modeling techniques to represent human cognition and behavior.

You might ask why Director of X? As SoarTech continues to expand its suite of AI-focused capabilities, Joseph will be helping us grow into new markets. For now, we’re still exploring these new opportunities, hence the variable “X”. Joseph has already begun coordinating with different teams inside the Department of Defense’s Military Health System. Along with Dr. Alyssa Tanaka and Dr. Jon Sussman-Fort, Joseph played a key role in our first major marketing campaign at the Military Health Systems Research Symposium in mid-August, where we had a well-trafficked booth on the exhibit floor. He also led two well-attended panel sessions.

Joseph said there were three things that brought him to SoarTech. “One aspect of my Navy research and acquisition career that I deeply enjoyed was finding a partially defined operational problem and working with end users, acquisition sponsors, program officers, etc., to develop a ‘strategy’ and a team to transform that challenge into a research effort positioned for entry into the acquisition lifecycle,” he said.

He worked with SoarTech on and off since 2000 and was well acquainted with the passion the entire team brings to this solution-centric approach. “SoarTech seemed like a natural fit when I was considering ‘where next’ when retiring from the Navy,” said Joseph.

His second reason is that he firmly believes that the key to delivering capabilities to our warfighters lies in balancing being creative and innovative, which can be a long-term investment, and delivering solutions to a sometimes-truncated development schedule. This often requires knowing how to build the “minimum viable product” – and then being able to iterate to deliver an even better solution downstream.

“I’ve watched many teams, both inside and outside the government, struggle with this balance, and I have seen firsthand that SoarTech understands how to manage that balance,” Joseph adds.

“Lastly, with all the hype and expectations surrounding AI, I have a deep appreciation for SoarTech’s provenance – we don’t just do AI, we develop AI based on over 50 years of research focused on understanding human cognition, intelligence and decision making, to deliver AI solutions that “naturally” work with and enhance the performance of their human teammates.”

Future battles will have challenges like disrupted communication, limited control of the sky, and spread-out warfighters. “When you think about giving medical help to injured warriors in these tough conditions, we’ll need a way to plan and share medical resources ahead of time,” he said.

Additionally, medical staff will need better tools to diagnose and treat injured warfighters for longer times. Autonomous systems may be used to deliver supplies and protection until they can get proper care.

“The medical staff, who are often enlisted personnel, will need more training and more advanced and intuitive tools to stabilize, maintain and heal these warfighters ” he said.

Joseph thinks that many future challenges for warfighters – like advanced training, teaming with unmanned systems, and making sense of lots of conflicting information – can be best addressed through AI partners that “understand” how people think, that can anticipate where cognitive bottlenecks may arise, and that can offer trusted guidance and direction.

“I see a role for every one of SoarTech’s portfolios to deliver on our Nation’s promise to protect and care for our warfighters. AI that seamlessly becomes part of the team is the goal – and the only way to get there is by understanding the human element,” he said. “This is where I see SoarTech crushing it!”

After a little more than a month with the team, Joseph said his favorite thing about working at SoarTech is that even after two decades it still has that “start-up” vibe. “There’s excitement, passion, intellect, and a drive to innovate!”.

When Joseph isn’t working, he enjoys hiking the many different trails across Maryland and Virginia and rock climbing, which he took up during flight school to overcome a fear of heights. “We did a lot of jumping from 30 to 100-foot platforms before getting anywhere near an airplane!”