# CAREER: Integrated Digital Thread for Self-Evolving Cooperative Robotics Remanufacturing

> **NSF 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · University of Connecticut (CT) · $509,434

## Abstract

Remanufacturing restores worn or damaged products to like-new performance, extending the life of high-value assets while reducing dependency on costly replacements and lowering supply chain vulnerability. Many repairs still depend on technician judgment that is difficult to document and is increasingly at risk as experienced workers retire faster than replacements can be trained. Although robots offer the potential to alleviate workforce shortages, today’s programmed automation is largely limited to repetitive operations and cannot replicate human-level reasoning and adaptability required to manage the unique geometries, uncertain damage states, and evolving conditions inherent to repair workflows. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project aims to create scientific and educational foundations for an integrated digital thread framework that enables autonomous, self-evolving cooperative robotic systems capable of additive repair. This project advances remanufacturing by moving from programmed automation toward cognitive automation, creating intelligent systems that leverage expert knowledge and continuously adapt to perform unique, customized operations across all remanufacturing steps. Further, this project will broaden participation through curriculum modules at the University of Connecticut, hands-on research and mentoring, summer programs with local schools and community colleges, and workforce development activities for manufacturers and small businesses.

The overall research goal is to establish a mind-body-environment loop that integrates knowledge-based reasoning, physics-informed embodied interaction, and continuous environment-loop adaptation, to support adaptive repair actions and scalable deployment across emerging remanufacturing applications. Specific objectives include: (1) Develop a self-evolving, memory-augmented planning module to sense, diagnose, identify, and learn what processes are needed for the repair task, enabling generalizabl

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2543603
- **Awardee organization:** University of Connecticut (CT)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** WNTPS995QBM7
- **PI:** Farhad Imani
- **Primary program:** 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, GRADUATE EDUCATION, WORKFORCE, Manufacturing, TOOLS & TECHNOL FOR MANUFACTURING DESIGN, UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
- **Estimated total:** $509,434
- **Funds obligated:** $509,434
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 08/01/2026 → 07/31/2031

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2543603

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2543603, CAREER: Integrated Digital Thread for Self-Evolving Cooperative Robotics Remanufacturing. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-20 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2543603. Licensed CC0.

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