Sources Sought - 25-Q-0060.doc

Sources Sought Template:

(1) Action Code :

SOURCES SOUGHT

This is a Sources Sought Notice only. This is not a request for proposal, but a survey to locate potential sources. This Sources Sought does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposals, or a Request for Quotations, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue an order or otherwise pay for the information solicited, nor is it a guarantee of a forthcoming solicitation or contract. It is for market research purposes only. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of industry, to include the Small Business Community: Small Business, Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). The Government must ensure there is adequate competition among the potential pool of responsible contractors. Small business, Section 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, & EDWOSB businesses are highly encouraged to participate.

(2) Date : 2/13/2025

(3) Classification Code : AJ

(4) NAICS Code: 541330

(5) NAICS Size Standard: $25,500,000.00

(6) Contracting Office Address:

2800 Powder Mill Road Bldg. 601 Adelphi, Maryland 20783

(7) Subject: Sources Sought for one (1) kitted robotic automation platform (kit).

(8) Proposed Solicitation Number: W911QX25Q0060

(9) Sources Sought Closing Response Date: 2/11/2025

(10) Contact Point: Deneise Jackson, Contract Specialist, (520)-945-7416, deneise.c.jackson.civ@army.mil.

(11)

A. Objective:

To find sources that are qualified to meet the supplies/services as listed in section 11B. Note that the specific requirements in section C are subject to change prior to the release of any solicitation.

B. Salient Characteristics:

The Contractor shall provide a kitted robotic automation platform (kit) with the following minimum specifications:

The kit shall include two (2) Universal Robots robotic arms, model UR5e, mounted on individual mobile pedestals which can be positioned side-by-side.

o UR5e shall have range of motion to overlap in a commonly accessible workspace when positioned side-by-side.

The UR5e robot arms mounted on pedestals shall have their bases at a height 36 inches (in) off the floor

The kit shall use anodized, T-slot aluminum extrusions for framing (bases, mobile platforms, supporting structures) to support easy reconfigurability.

o The use of slip-in T-nuts (ability to insert a t-nut in the middle of a t-slot span) with stay put feature to prevent sliding will be provided for t-slot connections.

o Anodization color will be consistent and either silver, gray, black, or dark blue.

o Aluminum extrusion profiles used shall be interchangeably self-compatible and sourced such that it is compatible with North American aluminum t-slot extrusion vendors that provide ready sale and custom machining of the identical profile, anodized in the same color.

o The profile(s) used shall have at least three (3) size options available from the North American aluminum t-slot extrusion vendor and available in the same anodized color provided.

o 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) files of the T-slot aluminum extrusions shall be available.

o The inclusion of extra lengths of compatible T-slot framing profiles to support future reconfigurability.

Robot power/controller shall be co-located and mounted to mobile bases.

The kit shall include a provision for the ability to rigidly couple and decouple the mobile bases so that they may either be conjoined or be individually wheeled apart and positioned across a workspace from one another.

Wheeled castors shall be attached to the mobile platform and must include an integrated leveling foot.

The entire system shall be able to fit through a 36in wide, 90in tall doorway without disassembling components.

The kit shall include a provision for mounting a camera / point cloud distance sensor(s) overlooking each of the two robotic arms shall be provided.

The kit shall include three (3) Automatic pneumatic/electrical tool changers functionality, where the tools are commonly shared and available to both robotic arms.

The kit shall include two (2) Robotiq 2F-140 grippers and one (1) Robotiq 2F-85 gripper shall be included and have the automatic tool changer functionality.

The kit shall include 3-dimensional (3D) camera-based imaging.

o The kit shall include one (1) ORBBEC Femto Mega, one (1) ORBBEC Gemini 335, and one (1) Intel Realsense D455.

The kit shall include one (1) rackmount form-factor, Nvidia GPU-based, reinforcement learning and control computer that meets these minimum requirements:

o Intel Core i9 X-series or higher (≥16 cores) o 64gigabytes (GB) of Random Access Memory (RAM) o 1 terabyte (TB) Nonvolatile Memory (NVMe) Solid State Drive (SSD) o Nvidia Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) - RTX 6000 Ada o Microsoft Windows 11 Pro o 27in 1440 Progressive Scan (p) monitor.

The kit shall include provisions on each robotic arm mobile platform to rigidly contain or mount the rackmount control computer

The Contractor shall ensure all framing components be pre-cut to length and machined such that the system is ready for end-user assembly.

The Contractor shall ensure all fasteners and hardware components must be included and identified

The Contractor shall ensure English assembly instructions be provided.

The Contractor shall provide a perpetually reconfigurable 3D CAD-based digital twin of the robotic assembly meeting the following specifications:

o 3D CAD files for all the individual structural components, internal and external, shall be provided or made available.

o A 3D CAD of the entire, assembled system (does not need to include grippers) and URDF files for automatable motion components need to be available and exportable (The Government possesses URDF files for the UR5e robot arms and Robotiq grippers) o If a file of the 3D CAD of the assembled digital twin is provided, it must be in native SolidWorks format having individual and editable part files (*.SLDPRT) comprising a functional and editable assembly file (*.SLDASM).

o The digital twin will indicate the initial structural design and placement of the required components

The Contractor shall provide the final design of the system in their offer. The final design shall conform to the 3D CAD-based digital twin requirements above and will be used by the Army to evaluate the design and ensure all criteria are met.

The Contractor shall provide an itemized bill of materials indicating the quantities, qualities, and dimensions of parts

The Contractor shall demonstrate Past Experience in sales of kitted robotic arm platforms for industrial automation that includes providing end-users with easily reconfigurable designs and correspondingly reconfigurable CAD-based digital twins

The Contractor shall demonstrate relevant past experience over a period of no less than three (3) continuous years preceding the solicitation date and with not less than twenty (20) designed and delivered kits having comparable characteristics and qualities with high-fidelity and easily reconfigurable digital twins.

The Contractor shall provide shipment of the entire kit within 30 days after receiving the award.

C. Responses:

All interested parties should notify this office in writing, mail, fax, or e-mail within the posted date. Responses shall include:

(I) To what extent each of the specifications can be met.

(II) Include your type of business (i.e. commercial, academia), whether your organization is classified as a large or small business based on the NAICS dollar value standard that accompanies NAICS code 541330. If a small business, you must also list any small disadvantaged status you hold [HUBZone, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), etc.].

(III) Past experience/ performance through the description of completed projects.

(12) Responses to this sources sought are due no later than 11:59 AM eastern standard time 2/11/2025. Submissions should be emailed to Deneise Jackson at deneise.c.jackson.civ@army.mil.

Questions concerning this sources sought may be directed to Deniese Jackson at deneise.c.jackson.civ@army.mil. or (520)-945-7416. Please be advised that .zip and .exe files cannot be accepted.

(13) Place of Contract Performance: Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005

(14) Estimated Delivery Timeframe or Period of Performance: Delivery must be made within 30 days after award of contract.

Last updated 2/13/2017